Life changes for the true child of God. You may recall that while Jesus was on earth, the disciples were concerned about their own future. They had forsaken all to follow Jesus, but they wanted to know what they would receive for this. The mother of James and John came to Jesus to try to secure an important position for her boys in the kingdom.
Things began to change for the apostles after Acts 2. They received the Holy Ghost in a new way at that time. The indwelling Holy Spirit in them, changed their perspective. They were no longer concerned about themselves, for the most part. There was still some growing that needed to take place. The apostle Paul needed to openly rebuke Peter for causing dissension between the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers. God straightened that out as well.
In our text, Peter drew the attention of the strangers to the right source. It is God that deserves blessing. He is the One Who provides salvation and blessings beyond salvation. The true God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are saved all have the same Saviour. The New Testament often reminds us that those who are saved, not only have eternal life, but they also have a new Master. Jesus Christ is the Lord of the true child of God. We seek His will and we want to do His will.
Peter went on to remind the strangers that they were begotten again through the abundant mercy of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is a gift. It is not something that can be demanded. It is not something we deserve. We received It due to the abundant mercy of the Lord.
This salvation provides a lively hope. The Christian life is not a dull life. I remember as a younger pastor, hearing young people come back from camp wanting to sing the choruses they had learned at camp. They did not like the hymns. This was back in our New Evangelical days. They wanted something different. I eventually became the board chairman of that camp and we changed the music program. We removed the empty “fun” choruses, and we replaced them with meaningful songs. We made sure the preaching was preaching from the Word of God. There is no need for a division between the youth and the adults. The youth need to get saved and if they get saved, there will be a desire to know the truth. Parents also need to get right with God and appreciate the lively hope they have in Christ. Since that time, God has continued to teach me many things.
If a camp meeting drives an ungodly wedge between the camp and the church, the camp needs to go.
The lively hope we have is because Jesus Christ is alive. He is not dead and rotting in a tomb. He is alive and seated on the right hand of God the Father in glory. Christianity is the only religion that has a living God and a living Saviour. We do not need drums and wild music sung by people who act as if they need to go to the bathroom. We need Godly music that comes from the heart of those who have been “begotten again.”
This is what is missing in too many churches and homes. When the whole counsel of God is preached, the hearers will hear all the truth. The Holy Spirit will be pleased to prick the hearts and consciences of the hearers. Some will leave in protest. A few will be broken and desire the truth.
Those few have an inheritance that is incorruptible. I would much rather have an incorruptible inheritance that cannot be diminished. It is undefiled and it does not fade away. It has been 2,000 years since Jesus Christ died on the cross and shed His blood there. He went back to heaven, but His salvation is just as precious today as it was for Mary and the others, back then. They were excited to see the risen Saviour. They understood their hope was in a living Saviour. It was somewhat overwhelming for them at first, but God helped them to lay hold of the reality of what they had been given. They never turned back. They served the Lord and the apostles were accused of turning their world upside-down. They had a hope that fadeth not away and it is reserved in heaven for all saints. No one can take that away.
I read a report recently that stated that at least some officials understand now that they had no business trying to shut down churches during the engineered panic that has taken place over the past three years. I doubt that will change the government’s minds. The governments of our country are just puppets of a bigger plan. However, that plan will be destroyed one day, by God. God’s salvation will never fade away. The lively hope He provides is reserved in heaven for the saints. No man can taint that in any way. The New Evangelicals have been busy trying to cheapen this plan for years. Many have bought into that lie. However, the truth is still available. The truth seems strange to many. There are a few who love the truth because they have been begotten again by the power of God. They are genuinely born again saints.
You notice in verse 5 that the saints are kept by the power of God. We are not hanging on for dear life. God is holding His children in His hand. We, those who are saved, walk by faith. We trust in the promises of God. We know God’s hand is big enough to hold each one of His saints safely. We know that His wisdom is there to guide us in making wise decisions. We do not need to fear the threats of man. We can walk with confidence in the hope we have been given in the Lord Jesus Christ. We live in anticipation of the fulfilment of the promises of God. We know they are real and are like Abraham of old. We are looking for a city whose builder and maker is God. We know heaven is real. We know we have been saved to serve the true God and we are looking forward to the day we will be with the Lord in heaven forevermore.
I trust each one reading this is truly born again today. If you are not, today is the day for you to turn to God and be saved. Don’t continue to put off the truth. If you do, you will regret that soon. The wise person desires to know God’s peace and truth and walk with Him. Bless God with your life today. Shine for His glory.
Pastor Bartel