1 Peter 3:18-22

• Christ’s Triumph Through Suffering

  Text: 1 Peter 3:18–22

  Main Point:

  Your trials are not meaningless—though you walk through fire, you will not be consumed because your King is sovereign.

  Key Themes:

  • Christ’s suffering had a purpose—our redemption.

  • Suffering refines us like fire purifies metal.

  • Christ's triumph over sin, death, and evil gives us hope in trials.

  Overview of 1 Peter:

  • 1 Peter 1: We are chosen by God, sanctified by the Spirit, and redeemed by Christ’s blood. Our trials refine us.

  • 1 Peter 2: We are living stones, called to holiness, submitting to authority for God's glory.

  • 1 Peter 3: Christian holiness affects our relationships (marriage, community, and suffering for righteousness).

  Exposition of 1 Peter 3:18-22

  1. Christ’s Suffering Was Once and For All (v.18)

     • Unlike repeated sacrifices, Jesus’ death was final and sufficient.

     • “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.”

  2. Christ’s Suffering Was Substitutionary

     • Jesus, the righteous one, died in our place.

     • His suffering wasn't just an example but a payment for sin.

  3. Christ’s Resurrection Secures Our Victory (v.18)

     • Jesus was "put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit."

     • Without resurrection, there is no salvation (1 Cor. 15).

  4. Noah’s Days Prefigured Salvation Through Judgment (v.19-20)

     • Noah preached righteousness to a rebellious generation.

     • The flood was both judgment and a means of salvation for those in the ark.

  5. Baptism as a Symbol of Salvation (v.21)**

     • Baptism does not remove sin but signifies union with Christ.

     • Just as Noah was saved through water, believers are saved through Christ’s resurrection.

  6. Christ’s Exaltation—All Authorities Are Subject to Him (v.22)

     • Christ has ascended to the right hand of God, ruling over all things.

     • No ruler, angel, or power is outside His authority.

  Application

  1. Faith Over Fear – Trust in Christ’s sovereign reign, even in suffering.

  2. Endure Trials with Hope – Hardships refine us; Christ’s suffering led to glory.

  3. Be Bold in Evangelism – Knowing Christ reigns gives us courage to witness.

  4. Fix Your Eyes on Christ’s Triumph – He reigns now and will return to complete His victory.

  Final Encouragement: Your suffering is not meaningless—Christ is reigning, shaping you into His image. Every knee will bow before Him.

Christ’s Triumph Through Suffering

Text: 1 Peter 3:18-22

1. Biblical Context

• Author & Audience: Peter writes to suffering Christians, encouraging them with Christ’s victory.

• Theme of 1 Peter: Suffering leads to glory, just as it did for Christ.

2. Key Doctrines

1. Substitutionary Atonement – Christ, the just, died for the unjust (v.18).

2. Resurrection & Victory Over Death – Christ's resurrection guarantees ours (v.18).

3. Baptism as a Sign & Seal – It signifies salvation, not causes it (v.21).

4. Christ’s Sovereign Rule – All authorities are under Christ (v.22).

3. Discussion Questions

1. How does Christ’s suffering encourage you in your trials?

2. What does it mean that Christ’s death was “once for all”?

3. How does baptism relate to salvation?

4. How should Christ’s kingship affect how we live?

4. Westminster Standards Connections

• Westminster Confession of Faith 8.5 – Christ’s obedience and suffering fully satisfied divine justice.

• Westminster Larger Catechism 49-50 – Christ’s exaltation includes His resurrection, ascension, and reign.

• Westminster Shorter Catechism 26 – “Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us…”

Final Encouragement:

Lift your eyes! Christ’s resurrection and ascension assure us that suffering has a purpose and victory is certain. Stand firm in Him.

Welcome to God's Word for You, a ministry of Sharon R.P. Church in Morning Sun, Iowa. Check us out online at www.sharonrpc.org. We pray that this message will be a blessing to you and that the Lord will use it to transform your faith and your life. Good to be back in Iowa. Let's turn our Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 3, 1 Peter chapter 3. 1 Peter chapter 3, and this morning we have been in a real way kind of looking individually at, you might even say, the bump on the bark on an individual tree in the forest. So we've been kind of looking really closely at a lot of small things in the text, and I think it was important for us to do that. But this morning, what I'd like for us to do is kind of zoom out a little bit and to see how this all ties together. So 1 Peter 3, if you're using your pew Bibles, you'll find that on page 1078. Page 1078, and we'll read verses 18 through 22. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient when once the divine long-suffering waited in the days of Noah. while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us, baptism. Not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to him. Thus ends this portion of the reading of God's word. Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for the blessing it is to get to be together, to sit under your word. And Father, we pray that you would please help us to understand it. Lord, we pray that your Holy Spirit would make our dark eyes enlightened. Lord, where we have hardness in our heart, that you might make it soft. Where we have ears that do not want to hear, Lord, we pray that you would make us be able to hear. Lord, please help us. Help me, Lord. I'm just a center up here, trying to grapple with the most amazing truths in the universe. Please, Lord, use my fumbling words for the building up of your saints, for your glory, in Jesus's name, amen. What I'd like to do, we've been in 1 Peter for a while, and I think it's important as we start, as we get into this, there's gonna be a main point of this sermon, The main point is that I want you to know that in your lives, that your trials aren't for nothing. That though you walk through fire, you will not be consumed because your King is sovereign. But to see how we get there, I'd like to zoom out a little bit and just real quick, this is gonna be 1,000 miles per minute. Put up with me for a few seconds. We're gonna look, go ahead, you can turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter 1. And we're just gonna pick up real quick where we have been so we're able to get to where we are today. So 1 Peter 1, verse two, who are we? We are elected by the Father because of his foreknowledge. We have been sanctified by the Spirit. We have been sprinkled by the blood of Jesus Christ. God's grace has been multiplied to us. And then in verses three through five, Peter told us that God has made us born again. by His Spirit and He's given us an inheritance. And then in verses 6 through 9 of chapter 1, it told us that we are to rejoice when we suffer. Why? because we're going through a refining fire and we're like gold being made more and more pure. And then verses 10 through 12, Peter also told us there that the prophets and the angels had longed to know the things about the gospel that you're clearly told. And then verses 13 through 16, Peter goes on that we now, since we have this gospel, since we've been sprinkled in the blood of Jesus, since we've been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, since we've been elected by the Father, how does that impact our lives? We live modeling our Father. He's holy. And so we are to live holy. And then verses 17 through 21, why is any of that matter? Why should we be holy as he is holy? It's because you're valuable to God. It's because he redeemed you for that purpose. With something more precious than silver or gold, but with the very blood of his own son. And so since we've tasted that the Lord is gracious, verse 22 through 26, chapter two, verse three, tells us that gospel that is sown in our hearts as we are born again, works out as a gracious love for God and for his word. Because God is building up a spiritual house. That's what Peter went on in chapter two. What is God doing with the Christians? He's building up a household, a holy temple with living stones, with a cornerstone, the most important stone being Jesus Christ himself. And then in verses 11 through 12 of chapter two, he told us that we're those living stones and we're to live as lights in a dark age, knowing that Jesus is coming back. And Peter continues on to press us, and so now as we live as children, what do we do? All right, if we're these living stones, if we're to be lights in this fallen world, if we have this gospel, if we've been sprinkled in the blood of Jesus, how, okay, so nitty gritty, what does that look like in our lives? We submit to the king, and we fear God. Not popular, but that's what it said in verses 13 through 17. How do we live as children of God? And then verses 25 through 28. Right, what about those household slaves? How were they supposed to live as living stones, as those seeking to be holy as their heavenly father is holy? Well, the household slaves were to submit. They were to listen to their masters. They were to serve them for God's glory. And then in chapter three, the practical application keeps on going. And what does holiness look like for wives in the home? Looks like submitting to their husbands. Well, what about husbands? How are they supposed to live? Verse seven, husbands are supposed to show their submission to God by being holy and how they treat even their wives and their children. And then in verses eight through 12 of chapter three, holiness is to work out by being harmonious and loving one another in the church. And it's like Peter left off this idea a little bit of suffering and the refining fire in chapter one, and he pulls it back up in verses 13 through 17 and he says, but not everybody's gonna like that. People revile you for your good conduct. Because you're trying to be holy like your heavenly father is holy because that's what you were born again to do, not everybody's gonna like it. They'll slander you and they'll say evil things against you. And you know what? It's better, it's good for you to suffer for good. And then he comes to the passage that we've been considering over the last, over a month now in chapter three, the very end of it, verses 18 through 22. Christ also suffered because suffering has a purpose. And Jesus is the model of that. Jesus is the model of suffering and that suffering leading to triumph. We were born again to be like Jesus. And Jesus suffered. But we were also born again to be a part of Jesus's kingdom. And Jesus is our sovereign king. There's a YouTube channel our kids and I like to watch recently. YouTube's fun. It just kind of like throws things at you and sometimes they're good and sometimes they're not good, but it gets better and better. And if it finds out you really like something, it just kind of keeps on feeding it to you. It's like this addiction machine, right? But one of the channels that's really neat is this metallurgy channel. I'm not really that interested in metallurgy, but there's this dude with an interesting accent and he's a blacksmith. And he makes all these different knives and swords, and he's even making glasses out of some type of titanium Damascus stuff. I don't know what it is, right? But one of the things that he'll do regularly is he'll take all these different metals, and he'll put it in a box, and he'll weld this box shut, and then he takes that box, and he'll put it in a kiln. Man, it's hot. The bricks are glowing orange. And he puts it in the kiln, and he walks away. Just leaves it in there. Something's happening on the inside with all that metal. Somehow there's chemicals interacting. And then he takes it out of that kiln. And when the metal comes out, it is glowing hot. And then he walks over. And do you know what this cruel man does after that? Imagine being this piece of metal that has been put in the fire. Now he takes it over to an air hammer with thousands and thousands of pounds and crushes it and crushes it and crushes it and crushes it and crushes it. And then do you know what he does after that? He puts it back in the fire. And he does this again and again and again. And if you can imagine yourself being that metal, you might think, man, this hurts. This hurts and I don't like it. Sometimes I'm heated up and I feel like I'm just gonna melt. Other times I'm being beaten on and that hurts. And then other times I feel like I'm drowning because I'm quenched. And then when that's all done, I think I'm done, but then I start getting cut off and sanded. But what's the end product? The end product is this amazing craftsmanship, patterns and designs. It's costly and valuable, he'll put it on his website and it's gone immediately. People just buy it up right away. That's what God's doing in your life. As you're in Christ, as you suffer in this life, as you go through pain and turmoil, the Lord is shaping you. The Lord's making you into his image, more and more like Christ. Evil's not prevailing as we think it is. God's not taking his eyes off of us. He's doing something with and in us. And so let's look quickly at our passage. We're just gonna go point by point. I have a number of different exegetical or explanation points here. And I want you to see how Christ triumphs through suffering. Look with me at first verse 18. For Christ also suffered once for sins. Jesus Christ came and he knew why he was coming. There was a purpose for it and it happened once. Unlike the Old Testament sacrifices that happened again and again and again, because they could never actually take away sin, Jesus Christ suffered once. One and done, it was finished. Good enough, perfect, complete. Hebrews chapter 9 verse 26 says, once at the end of ages he has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Romans 6.10 speaking of Jesus says, the death that he died, he died to sin once for all. Do you see, Jesus' suffering was for a purpose. Christ also suffered once for sins. There was a reason for it, for, for sins. He didn't die just because the Romans were cruel. Jesus offered up himself and he died for sins. Christ's suffering was not just an example for us to follow, but it actually affected us. It paid for our sins. Notice it was substitutionary. Verse 18 goes on. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust. The righteous one, Jesus, suffered by the hands of Pontius Pilate and the cruelty of the Romans, perfectly like a lamb without spot or blemish for us, the unrighteous. He who knew no sin became sin for us. It was Jesus who took the curse of the law for us. He died for us. He didn't merely suffer with us, but Jesus suffered for you. The verse goes on in verse 18, for Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. Christ's suffering accomplished reconciliation. See, there was a gulf, a vast gulf, a chasm between us and God, and the only way for us to be brought to God. See, we were at enmity with God. because of our sins. But did you notice what verse 18 said? He died the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God. It's as if Jesus Christ takes us by the hand and leads us into God's throne room and presents us as his children. It's through Jesus's accomplished work that we have reconciliation with God We enter the holy place by his blood. Romans 5.2 teaches us that we have access by faith into this grace. Verse 18 continues in the fourth clause, teaching us that Christ's resurrection secures our victory. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit. How does that jive? How does it connect? Because without the resurrection, there is no salvation. Paul will say in 1 Corinthians 15, if Christ is not risen, then your faith is futile, and you're still in your sins. But Jesus did raise from the dead. Just as Christ was raised from the dead, so also we get to walk in the newness of life. And when Jesus rose from the dead, God tells us in Colossians 2.15 that he disarmed principalities and powers. He made a public spectacle over them and he triumphed over them. Resurrection isn't just a footnote, it's the linchpin. Without it, our salvation isn't true. We're to be most pitied. But the grave is empty. He rose again on the third day, and it was this decisive moment of triumph over sin and death. But the text goes on, point number five of explanation here is that the days of Noah prefigured this salvation through judgment. Look with me at verses 19 and 20. By whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who formerly were disobedient when once the divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared in which a few, that is eight souls were saved through water. Christ by his spirit preached through Noah while he was building the Ark. As the book of Hebrews will tell us, he was a preacher of righteousness. And as God was showing his patience, preaching to those people at that time, telling them that the Ark was the only way of their salvation, they wouldn't believe. And as Peter's writing in his time, their spirits in prison, awaiting the final judgment day. The flood was both judgment and salvation. And the cross was as well. God judging our sins on the cross that we might be saved. And this is how baptism ties into it. Verse 21, there is also an antitype which now saves us. Baptism, not the removal of the flesh, the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God. through the resurrection of Christ Jesus. Baptism does not make you born again. It doesn't regenerate you, but it signifies your union with Jesus. It's as if you had walked into the Ark of the Covenant, right? As if you had walked into Noah's Ark itself. That's what baptism is showing you. You may be sprinkled with the water, That's the deluge that's wiping out the rest of everyone else. And that you know you're a sinner, but you can hide in the ark and be saved. Titus 3.5 teaches us that it's not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. Baptism points to being a sign and a seal of us being engrafted into Christ, that we are in union with Him in His life and in His death and His burial and His resurrection. So when it says through the resurrection of Christ, we are saved, that's one of the things that baptism is pointing us towards. Because Jesus is enthroned as King, verse 22, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God. Angels and authorities and powers have been made subject to him. Jesus did not just raise again from the dead and walk around and then die again, right? That's what happened to Lazarus, right? Jesus went to the tomb of Lazarus and he said, get up, come out Lazarus. And he woke up and he came out of the tomb, but you know what eventually happened to Lazarus? He went back into a tomb someday, but not our king. Jesus ascended up into heaven. Did you see that? Who has gone up into heaven and is at the right hand of God. He has been exalted and this idea of him being at the right hand of God is this imagery of Jesus having power and authority. Hebrews 1.3 says, when he had himself purged our sins, he sat down at the right hand of majesty on high. And also in Philippians 2, God has highly exalted him that the name of Jesus, every knee should bow. Why? Because he's at the right hand of God himself. Because all authorities are subject to him. Angels and authorities and powers have been made subject to him. In Choctaw, I'll show a little bit, there's a Greek structure there of the two chi structure. The point is that this is all inclusive, that Jesus' kingship, Jesus' exaltation, Jesus' ascending up into heaven makes him king over everything. Trump is under King Jesus. Xi Jinping is under King Jesus. Putin is under King Jesus. There is not a president, a principality, a prime minister. There's not a sultan or a governor or a mayor. There is no authority, no angel, no king, no principality, no one who doesn't have to answer to King Jesus. All of them must bow the knee to the son. And this is our answering, our answer to suffering because Christ rules even now. Nothing is outside of his sovereign hand. And so when hardships and trials and difficulties and tribulations, when sadness and depression, When pain and grief and mourning strike our heart, we can know that King Jesus is still on the throne and he is reigning for our good. So there's a few doctrines, a few points of teaching that I wanna give you here. And they all revolve around this idea that there's a theological foundation of Christ's triumph. Notice first that there is a necessity of Christ's suffering. Jesus Christ suffered for a reason, to bring us to God. Sin demands a payment. Christ's suffering was not optional, but it was necessary. And there may be some people think, well, couldn't God have just forgiven our sins? Couldn't he just give us a royal pardon? No. No, I think all of us recently have felt that way. Whatever side of the aisle you're on politically, people are really mad about blanket pardons lately, right? Because they know something happened and something was wrong and somebody's getting away scot-free. God's not like that. He dealt with our sins on the cross. Jesus Christ, point number two, there is a substitutionary atonement. That's a theological word we use, substitutionary atonement. You're not gonna find the word substitutionary in verse 18. You're not gonna find the word atonement in verse 18. But the idea is certainly there. the just for the unjust. One author calls this the great swap. We had sin and Jesus had righteousness. Jesus takes on our sin and we get Jesus's righteousness. There's a great swap that happens. It's a substitute. And I mean, I don't think we need to explain substitute very often. My family likes to do Walmart grocery pickup, mainly because I buy too much candy and chips at Walmart. If I go in and buy, so Olivia gets a Walmart grocery pickup, so I don't wander the aisles. But you know, when you go to Walmart grocery pickup, sometimes they don't have exactly what you want, and so they'll substitute it. And you're always hoping, maybe if we get the cheese and they have to substitute, they'll give us the bigger bag of cheese or the better bag of cheese. Instead of getting, you know, the great value brand, now we'll get the name brand. You always hope for a better substitute. We have the best substitute in Christ Jesus. The third doctrine that I want to point you towards is the triumph of Christ over death. Look with me again at verse 18. He was made alive by the Spirit. The proof that Jesus's work actually worked was his rising from the dead. If Jesus didn't raise from the dead, we're not justified, we're still guilty. And if Jesus didn't raise from the dead and we're still guilty, then we have no hope for life after death. So if Jesus didn't rise from the dead, if he just died in a grave and he never rose again, and we have no hope for life after death because we're still sinners, it also means that Jesus never ascended up into heaven. And if Jesus didn't ascend up into heaven because he didn't raise from the dead, then he could never have actually brought us to God. Do you see? Because if Jesus didn't raise from the dead because he's still in the grave, We're still sinners. There's no hope for life after death. He didn't bring us to God and we have no King. And Christian, your suffering makes zero sense then. Cause it means God doesn't know what he's doing. There's no plan. There's no King. It's just arbitrary. Do you see why Paul said, if the resurrection is not true, we are most of all to be pitied. But Jesus has rose from the dead. The resurrection is the proof of the efficacious nature of Jesus's work. And so the fourth point. of doctrine is that he indeed has ascended up into heaven. Jesus has been exalted. Exalted is a fancy word for saying he's been lifted up. He's been put above everybody else. He is at the right hand of God. His suffering led to glory. Do you see how Peter, how the Holy Spirit speaks through Peter to specifically tie these things together? Right, we have been saved, we have a good conscience towards God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God. If our Savior is risen and he has ascended up into heaven, then we know that we have an advocate with the Father and our suffering doesn't have, our suffering does have a purpose. It has meaning. If Jesus is at the right hand of God and he's ruling for his people's good. But there's an honest thing that we have to wrestle with at times. There are going to be some who say, okay, well, you could say this, that's all fine and dandy, Brian, that you say angels and authorities and powers have been made subject to him, but it sure doesn't feel that way at times. Right? When we see evil reign. We cry out with the psalmist, why do the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer, Lord? Why does it seem like if Jesus has made, if everything has been made subject to Jesus, then why does it seem like there's still evil in this world? I'm gonna submit to you that there's two things going on here. One is that what people intend for evil, God uses for good. Right, that's one of the things that first Peter is pushing at. You're suffering, even God uses that for your good. It may not feel like it, but we could know theologically and we could know biblically that hold on. If we remind ourselves, why are you cast down on my soul? Remember who God is, remember his sovereignty, remember he must have a plan for this somehow. But then also realize you live in the already, but not yet. You live in a time where you know that Jesus Christ is King, that He is reigning in heaven, sovereign and secure, and yet He is putting all things in subjection under Himself. But someday, brothers and sisters, He will return again, and we won't be in the waiting phase. We'll be able to land the plane, and we'll know that our King is there. So how do we live in light of Christ's triumph? Well, first we need to put faith over fear. We need to trust in Christ's sovereign reign. Christ reigns, Christ is the King, even when suffering seems to overwhelm us. So when trials come, what do you do? Fix your eyes on your resurrected Lord. Remember your King is in heaven. So I need to ask, in your life, what trials seem to be triumphing over you? What in your life have you felt like, this is totally out of control and I don't know any purpose for this going on in my life? Will you submit yourself to King Jesus? Now, I say all of this I need to make a caveat here. Sin is really sin and evil is really evil. And saying that Jesus is sovereign does not wipe away the culpability for that evil. God will judge. We as Christians are able to say, vengeance is the Lord's, He will repay. We trust God will judge. We pray for those who are sinning against us, who may even persecute us. We leave them in God's hands. Their sin is really sin. But we trust in Him. And so secondly, hold fast in trials. Walk the path of Christ. I think this is especially why one of the hardest areas, especially for modern readers to wrestle with in this section, is in chapter three when Peter was writing to slaves and they were made submissive to their masters. I can't imagine a more difficult scenario to tell someone they need to submit. Right, I think by nature, especially as Americans, we go, ah, hold on, that's a... But what does Peter do? How does the Holy Spirit encourage them with the difficulty of their submission? For Christ also submitted. Right, even when there was reviling, he didn't revile in return. Even when he was persecuted, he didn't persecute back. And if that's true of slaves in the first century, household servants in the first century, how true is it for us, for free people today? We walk in the path of Christ because as Christ suffered and was vindicated, so will his people also be vindicated. Don't be surprised when trials come, but endure with hope. But this also gives us another Very helpful application. Be bold in your evangelism. Your king is king today, and he'll be king forever. Knowing that Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God Almighty, knowing that he could call down a legion of angels, knowing that Jesus Christ is the one who is coming again to judge the living and the dead, gives us freedom. to go out and to tell others about the gospel. And even if they revile us, even if they see our good conduct and revile us of evil doers and slander against us, we don't need to fear that. We can give an answer for the hope that we have with gentleness and with charity and with full of faith, because we know that even if they persecute us for that, our King is still on his throne. That was, I was just talking to another pastor involved in a different part of the world, and they were having a presbytery meeting in a country they shouldn't have meetings, and they were found out, and the police raided the presbytery meeting and seized the computer, and they're suffering. The Christians there are suffering. And yet, as I was talking to this man involved in this country's work, the Christians there know somehow Jesus is still King. That they can pray for those police officers and military agents who came in and who raided their church meeting, and they can pray for their conversion. They pray for the police who are kicking them out of their homes. They pray for their bosses who are firing them from their jobs. They pray for those who are reviling and persecuting them. Why? It's one of the reasons why they love being reformed Presbyterians, because they know that there's a purpose to it because Jesus is King. There's gotta be an end goal that Jesus is accomplishing and so they trust in him. And so lastly, lift up your eyes. Lift up your eyes and remember that there will someday come a final triumph. We've memorized last week, what do we pray for in the third petition? Your kingdom come. We pray that the kingdom of Satan would be thwarted, that the kingdom of grace today might be advanced, but what's the last thing we pray for? We pray that the kingdom of glory may be hastened. that King Jesus would come again in the clouds, that the last trumpet would blow, that every knee would bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. And so we look forward to His glorious coming. We fix our eyes on Jesus coming and not the present problems of this life. So what consumes your thoughts, your problems, or your glorious King? If your eyes are constantly fixed on your problems, you're just going to get depressed and sad. Your life is going to be just all gray. But when we trust that our King reigns, we're able to be like those myriad of martyrs who have sat in cold prison cells in isolation, who have prayed for their persecutors and sung God's praises, even in their shackles. What's consuming your thoughts? that your King in heaven reigns, or the problems you face today. Look to Christ's triumph. Stand firm in Jesus. Remember the empty tomb. Fix your eyes on the reigning King. The fire does not destroy you, but it refines you. The cross was not defeat, but it's victory. And your suffering is not meaningless. It is shaping you into the glorious image of Jesus Christ, our King. All angels and powers and authorities have been made subject to Him. And at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. Take heart, Christian, your King does reign. Let's pray. Father, we thank you that you sent your only son, that the penalty of sin has been paid and you have, by your son, brought us to yourself. Father, we pray that your Holy Spirit might take the theological truths and bury it in our hearts, Lord, that we might rejoice in who you are. Renew the joy of our salvation. Give us hope, Lord. Conform us to your image. Make us into the people you would have us to be, for your glory. For Lord, yours is the kingdom, and yours is the power, and yours is the glory forever and ever. In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks for listening to this week's message from God's Word for You, a ministry of Sharon R.P. Church in rural southeast Iowa. We pray that the message would be used by God to transform your faith in your life this week. If you'd like to get more information about us, feel free to go to the website, SharonRPC.org. We'd love to invite you to worship with us. Our worship time is 10 a.m. every Sunday at 25204 160th Avenue, Morning Sun, Iowa, 52640. May God richly bless you this week.

• Why is human righteousness insufficient before God? Human righteousness is insufficient before a holy God because, as Romans 3:10-12 and Genesis 6:5 highlight, we are all inherently sinful. Our thoughts, intentions, and actions consistently fall short of God's perfect standard. We are prone to evil, and even our best efforts are tainted by selfishness and pride, meaning we cannot achieve a state of righteousness that would satisfy God's justice. This demonstrates the dire need for an external source of righteousness.

• What is meant by 'substitutionary atonement' in the context of Jesus' suffering? Substitutionary atonement refers to the concept that Jesus, who was completely righteous, willingly took the punishment for our sins upon himself. As Isaiah 53:4-6 and 2 Corinthians 5:21 show, he suffered and died on the cross as a substitute, bearing the consequences of our wrongdoing. This act of love and sacrifice satisfied God's justice, allowing us to be reconciled to him. Christ's suffering was not merely a demonstration of love but a means of payment for the penalty that we deserved, hence the "just for the unjust".

• How does Christ's resurrection impact our hope and justification? Christ's resurrection is vital because it proves the completeness and success of his sacrifice. Romans 5:1-5 and Philippians 3:9-11 describe how it demonstrates that God has accepted Jesus' atonement. It signifies not only the forgiveness of our sins but also our restoration to a right relationship with God. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, the believer has been given an "alien righteousness", one that was not earnt by them, but imputed to them by God through faith. It is through Christ's resurrection that we have the hope of eternal life, having been both acquitted of our sin and declared righteous in God's sight.

• What does it mean for a Christian to be "blessed" in suffering for righteousness? According to 1 Peter 3:13-17, suffering for righteousness is a blessing because it means our lives are aligning with Christ's teachings, and we are participating in His suffering. When we are persecuted for our beliefs, it is not a sign of God's disfavor, but rather a testament to our faith and a confirmation that we are following Christ's example. It gives us a unique opportunity to testify to the hope we have in Christ. Instead of fearing such suffering, we are to view it as an honour and an opportunity to glorify God.

• How should Christians respond when they face evil or persecution? Christians are called to respond to evil or persecution not by retaliating, but by exhibiting compassion, humility and love. 1 Peter 3:8-12 says, instead of returning evil for evil, we should bless those who persecute us. We are to seek unity and pursue peace, trusting that God is ultimately just and will avenge us. The focus should be on reflecting the character of Christ, showing grace even when facing injustice. This includes being gentle and respectful when defending our faith.

• Why is the concept of Christ's finished work so crucial for Christians? The "finished work" of Christ means that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection were all sufficient for our salvation. This means our righteousness is not based on any personal achievement, but a gift given freely by God. As the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms point out, Christ's obedience and sacrifice fully satisfied God's justice. Because of this, we can have full assurance of our salvation. There's nothing more we can or need to add to what he has already accomplished. This frees us from the burden of trying to earn our salvation and establishes Christ as the sole foundation for our relationship with God.

• How should the assurance of Christ's finished work influence our daily lives? The assurance of Christ's finished work should lead us to live with a deep sense of gratitude and confidence in our relationship with God. Knowing we are righteous because of Christ, not ourselves, should cultivate humility and motivate us to pursue a life that is pleasing to him. We should seek to display unity, peace, and love in our interactions with others. In our lives, we must seek to give a defence to others for the hope that we have in Christ, in meekness and fear. This should inform the way we approach every aspect of our lives.

• What is the practical application of the phrase "the just for the unjust" in our lives? The phrase "the just for the unjust" highlights the central tenet of Christian faith: Jesus, being perfectly righteous, took the punishment that we, being unrighteous, deserved. This realisation should foster a spirit of gratitude and humility. We must acknowledge we have no merit of our own, and our salvation comes entirely through grace. The just one took our place so that we might be brought into the presence of God. The application is that we can never rely upon ourselves for our own righteousness, and so must place our full trust in Jesus. This should lead to living lives that honor God's grace.

• Justification: God's act of declaring a sinner righteous in his sight through faith in Christ, not through their own good works or merits.

• Imputation: The act of crediting or transferring something, in this context, God credits Christ's righteousness to believers.

• Atonement: The reconciliation between God and humanity through Christ's sacrificial death, which covers the debt of sin.

• Substitutionary Atonement: The doctrine that Christ died as a substitute for sinful humanity, bearing the punishment and penalty for their sin.

• Righteousness: Moral perfection and conformity to God's law. In Christian theology, it's seen both as a standard and a gift of God through Christ.

• Sanctification: The process of being made holy, where God works in believers to transform them into Christlikeness over time.

• Passive Obedience: Christ's willing submission to suffering and death as part of his obedience to God's will, not limited to simply his active obedience to the law.

• Alien Righteousness: A righteousness that is not inherent to the individual but comes from an outside source. In Christian theology, it refers to the righteousness of Christ imputed to believers.

• Reconciliation: The restoration of a relationship to harmony, specifically, the bridging of the gap between God and humans through Christ.

• The Spirit: In the context of this study, refers to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who is believed to give life and bring about spiritual regeneration.