Pastor John D Jakes

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5

When I was a kid, I had a fear of the dark.  Yet, I didn’t really think about it.  Why?  I didn’t worry about the dark because for years my brother and I shared a bedroom.  Even though he is two years younger than me, just knowing that I didn’t face the dark alone was enough to handle my childish fear.  Awhile back I had a big digging project to do.  It was a couple hundred feet of digging across my property.  I kept putting it off because I thought it was too much.  I could never finish such a project.  When a neighbor volunteered to help, I suddenly reevaluated the work.  It didn’t look so daunting.  It looked doable.  The project didn’t change, but my perception of it did!

One of the effects of being alone is feeling powerless. When we feel alone, we think that our resources are limited.  We start believing that we cannot succeed.  We think that we can’t overcome.  However, when we believe that we have someone we can call on, our hope in what is possible grows. Peter says here that we have been given some things.  We have been given new life (born again), a living hope, and an inheritance that will not spoil or fade. If we had to secure those things by ourselves, it would be an impossible task.  How could I give myself life?  How could I make hope last?  How could I keep Heaven secure for myself and those that I love?  The answer is simple: I can’t.  So, who makes life, hope, and Heaven secure for us?  God the Father did when He gave us Jesus.  Not only did He do those things, but Peter says that the Father also protects us as we believe.  He does not leave us alone.

So, who makes life, hope, and Heaven secure for us?  God the Father did when He gave us Jesus.

 Believing in Jesus can separate us from others. If we live in a community that rejects Jesus, we find that we have been rejected too.  Those who are apathetic toward Christ are confused and offended by our passion.  When others are hostile toward Jesus, we feel that same hostility.  So, even at the minimum, our decision to follow Jesus can make us aliens and strangers to others. When we feel these things we feel alone. We feel weak.  We feel vulnerable.  So, Peter tells us that there is One who fights for us.  Our life, our future, our protection is not something that is uncertain or fragile.  We are protected by the very power of God!  As the apostle Paul told the people of Corinth, “When we are weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)  How can such a thing be possible?  He said, “My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (12:9)  What is the thing that makes such an amazing transformation possible?  It is grace.  Earlier in that same verse Paul says that God had told Him that, “My grace is sufficient for you.”  Grace.  The same grace that Peter is telling us about.  God is not threatened by our position of weakness.  Our position with Him is not challenged by our feelings or reality.  The power available to us for life and hope is not diminished because we are alone because of our faith.  It isn’t some mere human who has made these promises to us.  It is the God of the universe who has made these promises.  You and I can depend on Him.  This is the profound power of grace.

Something to think about,

Pastor John