Salvation For Your Souls [1 Peter 1:2]

Written By Adam Dragoon

salvation for your souls

The Role of the Trinity in Salvation & Sanctification

Sermon Summary

In this message, we explored the profound truth of being part of God's eternal kingdom, as highlighted in 1 Peter 1. It's easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget the incredible privilege of being chosen by God. This passage reminds us that we are part of something far greater than ourselves, a kingdom that transcends time and space. Peter's letter, written to a persecuted church, serves as a beacon of hope and encouragement, reminding us of our identity as God's chosen people, living as foreigners in this world.

Peter emphasizes the role of the Holy Trinity in our salvation: God the Father knew and chose us, the Spirit makes us holy, and we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. This triune work is a source of immense grace and peace, even amidst trials. The early Christians faced severe persecution, yet Peter's words remind them—and us—that our faith is more precious than gold, refined through trials to bring glory to God.

The message also challenges us to examine our lives. Are we living as sheep, grateful for the Shepherd's guidance, or as pigs, returning to the mud of sin? True salvation transforms us, leading us to desire holiness and obedience. Sanctification is a lifelong journey, a miracle of transformation that requires our cooperation with the Holy Spirit.

In the face of life's challenges, we are called to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Just as Peter walked on water when focused on Christ, we can overcome life's storms by maintaining our focus on Him. The trials we face are not without purpose; they refine us and prepare us for the ultimate reward—the salvation of our souls.

“True salvation transforms us, leading us to desire holiness and obedience.”
— Pastor Adam

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Message Study Guide

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  • [00:00] - Welcome

  • [06:10] - The Inspiration of Daily Bible Reading

  • [07:24] - The Privilege of Being Part of God's Kingdom

  • [08:37] - Introduction to 1 Peter 1

  • [10:16] - The Role of the Trinity in Salvation

  • [11:58] - Living as Foreigners and Pilgrims

  • [14:15] - The Reality of Persecution

  • [16:14] - Theological Anchors in Times of Trouble

  • [18:22] - The Comfort of Being Known by God

  • [20:39] - Empathy and Encouragement

  • [22:41] - Refocusing on God Amidst Struggles

  • [24:25] - Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus

  • [26:07] - God as Our Good Father

  • [28:23] - The Comfort of God's Omniscience

  • [31:17] - The Assurance of Being Chosen

  • [32:20] - The Cleansing Power of Jesus' Blood

  • [33:43] - The Desire for Obedience

  • [35:46] - The Sheep and the Pig Analogy

  • [38:13] - The Call to Righteousness

  • [40:57] - The Refining Fire of Trials

  • [43:30] - The Process of Sanctification

  • [45:30] - The Reward of Endurance

  • [47:30] - Encouragement to Stay the Course

  • [48:55] - The Impact of Small Decisions

  • [51:07] - The Legacy of Faithful Obedience

  • [51:56] - Closing and Call to Perseverance

Key Takeaways

  1. The Privilege of Being Chosen: As believers, we are part of an eternal kingdom chosen by God Himself. This identity should fill us with gratitude and purpose, reminding us that we are not alone in our struggles. Our trials are temporary, but our place in God's kingdom is eternal. [07:24]

  2. The Role of the Trinity in Salvation: Our salvation is a collaborative work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father chose us, the Son cleansed us, and the Spirit sanctifies us. This divine partnership provides us with grace and peace, even amid life's challenges. [10:16]

  3. Living as Foreigners: Like the early Christians, we are foreigners, called to live differently. Our faith may lead to persecution or misunderstanding, but it also sets us apart as God's chosen people, destined for a greater purpose. [11:58]

  4. The Process of Sanctification: Salvation is a moment, but sanctification is a lifetime journey. It requires our active participation and cooperation with the Holy Spirit, who works in us to make us holy. This process refines us, much like gold is refined by fire. [40:57]

  5. Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus: During life's storms, our focus must remain on Jesus. Like Peter, when we fix our eyes on Him, we can walk on water, overcoming the challenges that threaten to overwhelm us. Our faith is strengthened as we trust in His promises. [24:25]

Bible Reading

  • 1 Peter 1:1-2 NKJV - Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied

  • Hebrews 12:22-23 NKJV - But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn [who are] registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect.

  • Matthew 14:30 NKJV - But when he saw that the wind [was] boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"

Observation Questions

  1. According to 1 Peter 1:1-2, what roles do the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit play in our salvation? How does this reflect the concept of the Trinity? [10:16]

  2. In the sermon, how does Peter describe the early Christians' status in the world, and what does this imply about their identity? [11:58]

  3. What analogy does the pastor use to describe the difference between those who are truly transformed by salvation and those who are not? [35:46]

  4. How does the story of Peter walking on water illustrate the importance of keeping our focus on Jesus? [24:25]

Interpretation Questions

  1. What does it mean to be "chosen" by God, and how should this influence a believer's sense of identity and purpose? [31:17]

  2. How does the concept of living as "foreigners" or "pilgrims" in this world affect the way Christians should view their trials and challenges? [11:58]

  3. In what ways does the process of sanctification differ from the moment of salvation, and why is it important for believers to understand this distinction? [39:31]

  4. How can the story of Peter walking on water serve as a metaphor for the Christian life, particularly in times of trial and doubt? [24:25]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on your daily life: Are there areas where you might be forgetting the privilege of being part of God's eternal kingdom? How can you remind yourself of this truth regularly? [07:24]

  2. The sermon challenges us to live as "foreigners" in this world. What practical steps can you take to live differently in a way that reflects your identity as God's chosen people? [11:58]

  3. Consider the analogy of the sheep and the pig. In what ways do you find yourself returning to old habits or "mud"? What steps can you take to stay close to the Shepherd? [35:46]

  4. How can you actively participate in the process of sanctification in your life? Are there specific areas where you need to cooperate more with the Holy Spirit? [39:31]

  5. Identify a current challenge or "storm" in your life. How can you shift your focus back to Jesus, and what practical actions can you take to maintain that focus? [24:25]

  6. The sermon mentions the refining fire of trials. Can you identify a recent trial that has refined your faith? How did it prepare you for future challenges? [40:57]

  7. How can you cultivate a deeper sense of gratitude for the role of the Trinity in your salvation? Are there specific practices or prayers that could help you in this area? [10:16]

  • And the world shall know you are my disciples because of the love you have for one another. Let that same spirit be in each one of you. Praise God. We're grateful for all that God is doing. And we're grateful to you, Ms. Nisha, for giving us the opportunity to be and to serve you because not everybody does that. So we appreciate you.

    Let's open up our Bibles to 1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter one. If you join me there. This message was directly inspired by my daily Bible reading plan. I want to encourage you and give a shout out; we do have a Bible reading plan for the congregation. And we want to encourage you to be a part of that. Read along with the scriptures. Take in the Bible reading together, and what a great habit that is to form in your life.

    This morning, as we look into the Word of God, 1 Peter chapter 1, I think it can be easy for people who are trying to serve God, trying to do what's right, trying to go to church, trying to please the Father. Sometimes it can be easy for us to forget what an amazing thing that we are a part of. It can be easy for us to get wrapped up in the daily activities to the point that we forget how amazing it is, how glorious it is that we are part of a kingdom that is bigger than all of us.

    In Hebrews, the author is trying to remind the people how important this thing is. And in Hebrews 12, this is not my main scripture, but it's a reminder of how important this thing is. Hebrews 12, 22. He says, "You've come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You've come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven, who have now been made perfect."

    He says, "When you come to salvation, you are coming. You are becoming part of something incredible, something eternal, something amazing, something that should be appreciated, something that should be valued." I want to tell you, we have something that the world doesn't have. And that should give us reason to rejoice this morning.

    The scripture we're about to read, we're going to find that as Peter is addressing the church, this letter, he almost in passing mentions about what God has done for them as he's going to give them instructions in further chapters. But in this verse, he says, in the first chapter, by way of introduction, he mentions something that no doubt I've read before, read many times, but something, a formulation here, which is so powerful that it caught my attention, stopped me and caused me to say, I need to preach on this.

    And so I want to read to you from 1 Peter 1. Join me beginning in verse 1.

    "This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus who is living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Asia, and Bithynia."

    Verse 2. "God the Father knew you and chose you long ago. His Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. So may God give you more and more grace and peace."

    In one verse there, Peter mentions all three persons of the Holy Trinity and what they have accomplished for us. Did you catch it? Verse 2. "God the Father knew you and chose you long ago. His Spirit made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace."

    This is a message I've titled "Salvation for Your Souls." Let's pray.

    Lord, we come by the blood of Jesus. We're so grateful to have a kingdom that is beyond any one of us, beyond all of us put together. Lord, your kingdom is worthy of contemplation, of glory. Your kingdom and the work that you have done in our lives, God, is valuable. And this is a call this morning to appreciate both what you've done, what you are doing, and what you continue to do. And I want to continue to do your promises in the future. We give you glory, this opportunity.

    Lord, I pray, touch the hearts of your people this morning, and we give you all praise in Jesus' mighty name. God's people would say, Amen.

    Salvation for your souls. And I want to look, first of all, at how God provides leadership for our soul. This letter, along with many letters, most letters in the New Testament, is a letter written to a persecuted people. And I want to look at how God provides leadership for our soul.

    This is a letter written to a persecuted people. He is addressing a group of people, as he mentions, in a certain place, the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia. You have to ask yourself, why are they there? Well, the answer is there in our Scripture. It says that they are God's chosen people living as foreigners. Everybody say foreigners. That means they're not from those places. They happen to be in those places. They are foreigners.

    They have found themselves in a place where they were not intended to be. In the New King James, it says that they are pilgrims, pilgrims of the dispersion. And when you look up the definition for those words, pilgrims, the word means sojourners, exiles, or temporary residents. They were living in places that were not home. They had been driven to places that were far from their natural dwelling place. They didn't want to be there, but they were there.

    Do you know why? The reason is because to call yourself a follower of Jesus in that time was to put a death sentence on yourself. Peter is writing to a people who are running from persecution. That is maybe the most important thing in the New King James. He's writing to a people who are running from persecution.

    It's going to be a little bit difficult for us to process today in 2025 in America because that's not the experience of most people. If you say, "I'm a Jesus follower," people might look at you funny, but they're not going to try to kill you, hopefully. In this time, Peter is trying to bring leadership and comfort and encouragement to a people who are living as pilgrims, sojourners, as exiles.

    That's what the word dispersion means. The original Greek is diaspora. We use this term to describe those who are living outside of their homeland. And so both Jewish and Gentile believers are being scattered throughout those regions that are mentioned because of their faith in Jesus.

    And so what we can understand from this letter is that Peter is writing to a people who are in trouble. You know why that's helpful for us? Because we find ourselves in trouble sometimes. We find ourselves in difficult moments. We find ourselves maybe not to the same level, but persecuted, spoken badly about. We find ourselves dealing with difficulty and pain.

    And I just want you to understand, Jesus did not save you to be comfortable. For somebody, that was a revelation this morning. What? Jesus didn't save me to be comfortable. Eventually, we will find comfort in His presence. But in this life, as long as we are in this life, Jesus said, "You will have trouble."

    And if you're not having trouble, it means that maybe you're not following Jesus very closely. This letter is a letter of instruction and direction that He is giving through church leadership. Can I tell you, this is why we gather. This is why in Hebrews, it also says that we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together because when we come together, we find greater strength than when we are on our own.

    And so we gather together in the house. We gather together with the assembly. We gather together under leadership to find encouragement, strength, direction, and purpose for our lives. And what Peter, first of all, before he gives any correction, you read the rest of this book, you're going to find that he has some criticisms and some corrections and some things to offer to them.

    But firstly, when he is addressing them, the first thing that he approaches them with is some anchors of theology. He is going to bring some very well-needed biblical instruction to them. And why is that important? Because suffering, fear, anxiety, and worry are the most important things to them.

    And so he's going to bring some very well-needed biblical instruction to them. And why is that important? Because suffering, fear, anxiety, pressure from the world has the power to throw us off course. How many have ever known somebody or maybe yourself that through the pressure of persecution, that all of a sudden things get difficult, it can push us off course?

    It can cause us to begin questioning the foundations of our faith. And Peter is concerned about these people. He's saying, "I don't want you to wander from the truth." He's going to bring a theological anchor for them. You know what this looks like? It looks like preachers who will preach sermons that express the biblical point of view that homosexuality is a sin.

    Is that still in your Bible? It's still in mine. And yet, there are preachers who would preach that truth. And then, all of a sudden, they discover that a son or a daughter comes out as a homosexual. And then, all of a sudden, their theology changes. Well, the Bible, I guess, changed because somebody close to them. And there's pressure from family.

    It reminds me of Lot. You know, as long as Lot was in the relationship with his uncle Abram, Abram who had a relationship and a covenant with God, as long as Lot was together, Lot was born again. And so, as long as Lot was blessed, he had everything he needed. But then, one day, Lot looked down at the plains of Sodom, a place that was fertile and ready to make great harvests. He saw dollar signs flashing in his eyes.

    And he said, "Oh, I can go down there. It's not going to affect my family. It's not going to be hard. You know, I'll just go down there. I don't have to, you know, become one of those Sodom, Sodomy people." But when he chose to Sodom, it meant that he had to turn from Abram. There was a separation.

    And so this is the difficulty many times is that when we go through trouble, when we go through difficulty and pain, it can cause us to turn from the truth. And so here, Peter wants to bring them a foundation. And this is what we find in verse two. We find a whole theology course in one verse.

    "God the Father knew you and chose you long ago. The Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace."

    Can I tell you, this is encouragement. Can I remind you this morning, it is so important that you have a source of encouragement in your life. You're going to need to be encouraged from time to time. You know why? Because the world is discouraging. Living life can be discouraging.

    You're going to go through times of trouble. You're going to go through times of anxiety and sickness. You're going to go through times where people are looking down on you for serving Jesus. That comes with the territory. It is very common for believers to get discouraged. You know why? You know why I know that? Because sometimes I get discouraged.

    Sometimes great men of faith get discouraged. Great women of faith find themselves discouraged. Do you know why the Bible, so much of the Bible is, just keep going. You got this. It's encouragement because it's so easy to get discouraged. Is it because people are hacerlo often say, they're never discouraged? Not discouraged. God's people get discouraged.

    People say to themselves, "I can't go to church today. I'm too discouraged." It should be exactly the opposite; they should say, "I'm so discouraged, I need to go to church." We've got to have a flip in our mind. Listen, we're not coming to church because we got it all together. We're coming to church because we need Jesus. We need His Spirit. We need encouragement. We need strength from our fellow brothers and sisters.

    It is not the place to put on a show like everything's good. Yeah, you come. The church is, man, the church is not a shopping mall where everything's beautiful and pristine. The church is an emergency room where people are bleeding. Brother back there, man, he's about to die, but he's getting better while he's here.

    So, Peter wants to acknowledge their struggle. Look at verse 1. "I am writing to God's chosen people who are living as foreigners." You know, that encouraged me when I began to think about that because what Peter is saying is, "Guys, I see you. I see what you're going through. I see the price that you're having to pay. I see that you've had to say goodbye to people that you love because of Jesus, because of your faith, because of your proclamation, because of your boldness, because of your preaching. You've had to pay a price, and I see you. I know what that's like."

    Peter would have been experiencing the same. In fact, very few people were persecuted the way Peter was, even from the very beginning of his ministry in the book of Acts. They began speaking about Jesus, and Peter is one of the first to be thrown in prison. They laid their hands on him and not to pray for him. That means they were beating him up and persecuting him early on in the book of Acts. You can find it. He says, "I know what you're going through. I know how it feels."

    Sometimes, just identifying with somebody is an encouragement. When somebody comes along and says, "I see what you're going through," that's meaningful. Empathy is one of the most powerful words in the English language. To be able to identify with someone in their struggle. You're not on your own. I see your pain, and I want to share that burden with you.

    I'm so grateful for Nisha's testimony today because it tells me that in this congregation, there are people who have a heart like Peter. Don't go through this on your own. I see what you're going through. I want to help.

    The next thing he does to encourage them is he's reminding them about who God is. It says, "All praise to God." You know, in our struggles, and in our persecutions, and in our pain, we often focus on the wrong thing. We often focus on the why questions, the what if questions. We focus on why me, and why not them. We focus on all the things that really don't matter.

    What Peter wants to do is bring their focus back to where it needs to be on God. See, the problem of pain, and suffering, and persecution is that it has the power to take your eyes off of Jesus. Remember Peter, who knows this very well, because of all the disciples, he is the only one who sees Jesus walking on the water. He says, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to get out of the boat and come to you."

    You've got to love Peter because, man, he lets his mouth go before his brain. Jesus surprised him and said, "Come on, Peter." He steps out of the boat by faith. As long as his eyes are on Jesus, man, he is walking on the waves. He is walking on the trouble. He is overcoming the power of the storm, as long as his focus is on the Lord.

    But the Bible says he's in the middle of a storm. There's wind. There's waves. There's trouble. There's violence. And when he takes his eyes off of Jesus and onto the storm, onto the trouble, onto the difficulty, what happens? He begins to sink into the water.

    And the same thing happens with us, doesn't it? When we take our eyes off of the Lord, off of His word, off of His promises, off of His people, when we take our eyes off of Jesus, we begin to sink in despair. Where are your eyes looking?

    Matthew 14, 30. "When he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified." See, that's amazing to me because as long as he was looking at Jesus, there's no room for fear. There's no room for fear. There's no room for being terrified. When he's consumed, his mind, his heart, his mission is only, "I want to get closer to you, Jesus."

    But when he is diverted, when the storm becomes louder than the word of God, the will of God, he begins to sink in fear. Jesus rebuked him. Now, it's amazing because nobody else got out of the boat. But when they both got back, he was terrified. He was terrified. He was terrified. He was terrified.

    When they both got back in, Jesus said, "Why did you doubt? Why did you doubt? Keep your eyes on me." You're like, "Lord, don't I get any extra points? Like, I walked on the water, remember?" It doesn't help for you to walk on the water and then sink.

    My call this morning to encourage you is to put your eyes back on Jesus. The way that we do that is by cooperating with all of God. And this is what drew my attention to this scripture. The fact that there are all three members of the Holy Trinity here in one verse is a wonderful teaching.

    Number one, that we are known and chosen by the Father. Verse two, "God the Father knew you and chose you long ago." The first thing we notice about this, as Peter is bringing instruction, direction, correction, and encouragement to the church, he wants us to know God is our Father.

    That was a good place for an amen. Amen. Now, for some people, that is not a place for an amen because your Father treated you like trash. But I want you to know that God is not a bad Father. God is a good Father. And Jesus died in order so that God could adopt us as His children.

    Many people will know God as a judge, will know God as a creator, will know God as a lawgiver. So, someone to be feared, and yes, we should fear God. We can know God as a judge, someone who will bring a righteous redemption. But not everybody knows God as Father, a Father that we can approach as children.

    Romans 8 verse 14, "All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So, you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you have received God's Spirit. And He adopted you as His own children. And now we can call Him Abba, Father. For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children."

    The Father knew you. We are known. Again, verse 2, "God the Father knew you." Psalm 139 verse 1 says that, "O Lord, You have examined my heart and known everything about me. You know when I sit down, when I stand up. You know my thoughts, even when I'm far away. You see me when I travel, and when I rest at home. You know everything I do."

    We have to understand this morning that God knows everything, including every detail about your life. He knows every thought that has ever run through your head. He knows every word you've ever spoken. Now, for many people, and for me at one time in my life, that was a source of fear. Oh, no. God knows everything about me? And I would be horrified to consider the things that God knew about me.

    But now that I am His child, you know what I find in that scripture? I find comfort. You know why? Because God, You know everything about me. You know all that I've done and said. You know every thought that's gone through my head, and You didn't kill me. Lord, You still have a purpose for me. You still have a future. You still sent Your Son to die for me. You still filled me with Your Holy Spirit. I don't deserve any of that, Lord, but I receive it by faith.

    Lord, I am known by You, and I am loved by You. Those two things together are incredible. Being known by God is what delivers us from fear. Matthew 10, verse 24. "What is the price of two sparrows? One copper coin? Not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without the Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered."

    Not that God knows the number of hairs on your head, but that every single hair has its own number. This one is number 1,400. I don't know what number it is, but God does. He has the number. God knows everything about everything. And what's the conclusion that Matthew gives us? He says, "So don't be afraid. You are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows."

    1 John 4, verse 18. "Love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love."

    So God the Father knows us. Can I tell you, God is here this morning to remind you, "I see you. I know you. I know every flaw, every imperfection. I also know every strength and every weakness. I know what's good about you, what's bad about you." God says, who said it this morning? Mason said it. He knows us more than we even know ourselves.

    And what that should produce in those of us who want to be close to Him is a great peace and comfort. Lord, I don't have to fear. The second thing it says here is that we are chosen. "God the Father knew you and chose you long ago."

    In this context, the chosen is not just about the predestination, how God chose His people, but it also means chosen for an exclusive relationship. In other words, we have been chosen. Ephesians 1, verse 4. "Before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes."

    What an incredible truth to understand that those who are righteous, we are set apart to have a relationship with God for all eternity. And the question is this, what good father would abandon his children? Bad fathers do that, but not good fathers. A good father, God, is not a deadbeat dad.

    And remember the context, these are people in persecution. It would be easy when the whole city is trying to kill you, it would be easy to say, "God, you forgot about me. God, where are you in this?" It would be easy when you're Job and you lost everything that you love. It would be easy to say, "Lord, where are you in this?"

    But don't make the mistake of believing that God is absent. He knew you and He chose you and He is with you. Verse 2 goes on to tell us about the Son. That's God the Father. Now we look at God the Son. Verse 2, "As a result, you have obeyed Him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus."

    We spoke this morning about the cross. Every disciple must make the decision to appreciate and accept the cross of Jesus. What He did for us. The sacrifice that He chose to make. Nobody took His life from Him. He gave it willingly for you and for me. Why? Because without the blood of Jesus, we could not be cleansed.

    Obedience is linked to cleansing. One more time. "You have obeyed Him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus." Let me make a statement to you this morning. If you are struggling in the arena of obedience, the issue is not sanctification. It's salvation.

    See, the saved soul, the person who is washed by the blood wants to obey the Father. Is that true? It is the person who still has not experienced salvation who is struggling to obey. Those who are saved want to do right. It doesn't mean that we are perfectly accomplishing it every time. But we are striving.

    Ephesians 2 verse 10. "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us new in Christ Jesus so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago." Good things. God wants you to do good things. That's why He saves us. That's what the blood of Jesus can unlock. It's a new level of humanity. It's a new arena. He saves us. He makes us born again. He makes us new creations in Christ to do good things.

    I've said it before and forgive me if you've heard it. But it's the illustration of the pig versus the sheep. You can take a pig who has been waddling. Is that the right word? Wallowing. There you go. You can take a pig who has been wallowing in the mud puddle for weeks. It's out there stinking in the mud. You can bring the pig in the house. You can put it in the bathtub. You can wash it up. You can clean off all the mud. You can get some perfume. You can shave off all of its fur. You can make it look nice. You can put the perfume on and put some jewelry in its ear. You can make it look beautiful.

    But the problem is, as soon as you let the pig go, right back to the mud. Yes. Right back to the stink. Right back to the pit. Because that's what pigs do. A sheep, on the other hand, a sheep doesn't like the mud. If a sheep may fall into the mud puddle, he doesn't want to stay there. In fact, the mud puddle can become dangerous. Because if the mud gets into its wool, it can become infected and it can get sick. It just doesn't want to be there. It's uncomfortable.

    And so when you go and you rescue the sheep out of the mud, the sheep is grateful. "Thank you for getting me out of there." You can take the sheep into the bathtub. And the sheep loves it. "Oh thank you. Washing me off. For trimming the wool. Thank you. It feels good." And then when you let the sheep go, he doesn't just run back to the mud. He says, "I want to stay close to you, my shepherd."

    So here's the question. Are you the sheep or the pig? There are some people who come to church just on Sunday morning because they want to feel better about all the sins they did throughout the week. And as soon as you're out here like, "Whoo. Glad that's over. Let me go back to what I really want to do. What I really want to watch. The kind of music I really want to listen to."

    See, that's the mark that the old nature is not crucified. It's the mark that the blood of Jesus hasn't cleansed you. And it is the reason that we ought to examine ourselves really. Because guess what? You can go to church a thousand times. You can go to the bathtub a thousand times and get cleaned up a thousand times and go right back to the mud. Because nature hasn't changed.

    The thing that marks the new creation in Christ is that when he sets us free, man, I don't want to be in the mud puddle. I want to stay close to you, Jesus. John 3 verse 3. "Most assuredly I say to you unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God." Ezekiel 36 verse 26. "I will give you a new heart. And put a new spirit within you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you. And cause you to walk in my statutes. And you will keep my judgments and do them."

    No, we will not be perfect this side of heaven. Because we all have a flesh. But as children of God, as disciples of Jesus, as those who have been washed and cleansed by his blood, as we discussed this morning, Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow him. Follow him how? In righteousness. To do what he did. To say what he said. To think like he thought. This is the mark that we are purchased by his blood.

    The third thing that it says here in this scripture, verse 2, it says, "His Spirit has made you holy." There are two great miracles that God will do in your life. The first great miracle is salvation. That God takes pigs and makes them into sheep. What a miracle. What a miracle. God takes sinners and turns them into saints. That is salvation.

    This miracle of salvation is a miracle of a moment. It is a moment where we respond to the revelation that Jesus died for us and rose from the dead. We put our trust in him. He can make us new. It's a salvation. It is a miracle of a moment. But sanctification is the miracle of a lifetime.

    Don't get the idea that when you got saved, that was the end of the miracle that God wants to do for you. No. It's only the beginning. It's like getting married. Thank God for the wedding ceremony. Everybody stands. And the rings are exchanged. Vows. But then guess what? You go home with that person. And you have to have an ongoing relationship.

    People who come to an altar and confess Christ as salvation, but then they never talk to him again. It would be like going to a wedding, exchanging rings, and saying, "Okay. See you later." Foolish. But sanctification is the miracle of a lifetime. And the Bible says it's his Spirit that makes you holy.

    You know the good news about this? Sanctification is not all on you. It's his work, not your work. That should be good news for you this morning. We are called to participate. We are called to be in the work together with him. We are called in Romans 13, 14 to make no provision for the flesh. But the work of sanctification is his work. It's his work.

    He goes on in 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 6. He says, "You in this you greatly rejoice. Though now for a little while, if need be, you've been grieved by various trials. That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

    Peter says, "Look. I know you guys are being persecuted. But don't worry. Because this is the fire that refines the gold. The trouble that you're going through is the process of God making you holy and new."

    See, everybody wants to be Joseph when he's in charge of the whole Egyptian kingdom. But not everybody wants to go through the 25 years of trouble that Joseph had to go through to get there. Joseph, the story began with the dream that he had. And even when he told the dream, he was persecuted. They all hated him. He was rejected by his brothers, sold into slavery. He was purchased and then falsely accused.

    And you read the story of Joseph. And like, "Man. He's a good guy. Everywhere he goes, he's doing good things. Falsely accused. Thrown in prison. Years of his life gone." Even in prison. You know, most of us in Joseph's shoes, we'd be walking around bitter. "Man. God. All I ever did for you was good things. And this is how I get treated."

    You know, most of us, you know. But Joseph, at the end of his story, his brothers are there begging for mercy. And what does he say to them? He says, "You guys meant this for evil, but God meant it for good."

    The perspective of Joseph is, "All those years of the trouble that I went through, God was refining me and preparing me to be where I am today." Can you see that in your life? Can you see the Holy Spirit refining you, refining you through the troubles and the difficulties?

    Hebrews 12, verse 2. "Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith." How many people have come to me with a question about the will of God? "Pastor, what is the will of God for my life?" Let's begin where the Bible begins.

    1 Thessalonians 4, verse 3. "The will of God is for you to be holy." Very clear. Black and white. "Be holy. Stay away from sexual sin. Learn how to control your body and live in holiness and honor, not in the lustful passion like pagans who do not know God and his ways."

    Step one of salvation, sanctification, is live in purity. Possess your vessel. Sanctify and be pure. Good news. It does require our participation. But the Holy Spirit does the heavy lifting.

    We say it like this. God loves you just the way you are. But he loves you too much to keep you that way. He wants to change you. We all come to the kingdom with some dirty diapers. And a good parent doesn't leave the child in a dirty diaper. And some of us have a whole bunch of dirty diapers that need to be changed.

    Sanctification is God changing your dirty diapers. Sanctification is making you into a new creation.

    Let's close with the blessings of obedience. Verse two goes on to say, "May God give you more and more grace and peace." Just a definition of the word grace is divine enablement. It's the thing that we can't do on our own. That's grace.

    Hebrews 4, 16. "Let us come therefore boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." This is what we need. This is what we need from God. We need his grace. We need him to supernaturally enable our lives.

    The other thing Peter says, "May God give you more and more grace and peace." Something that is so lacking in our frantic world that we live in. We live in a frenzy. Everything is going, going, going a thousand miles an hour. From God to the throne, more and more grace and peace.

    The ultimate deliverance that God has for us is in verse nine, same scripture, 1 Peter 1, verse nine, where it says, "The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls." This is why we're doing this thing. Man, our souls were sinful. But he wants to save them. A relationship for all eternity.

    And I want to close by saying this. This process is not easy. But it was never meant to be. The process of getting saved was not easy. I mean, it was easy for you. You just accepted. But in order for you to accept salvation, how many know it was not easy for Jesus?

    We looked at that this morning in our Sunday school. The cross that he bore for us was not easy. The salvation was not easy to provide to us, but also the work of sanctification is not easy. If all we were called to do is easy things, then, man, there would be no payoff.

    But if we will endure difficult things, it will be worth it. Salvation of our souls. Look at verse 6. "Be truly glad." Remember, people in persecution, people being chased out of town and stoned to death, what does he say? "Be glad." Because there is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials.

    Listen, don't ever get the idea that it's just going to be smooth sailing. God, you saved me for smooth sailing. For problem-free existence. No. You point to me, the person in the Bible, the righteous man or woman who had smooth sailing. Can you find one? I can't. I can't. Not even Jesus had smooth sailing.

    So don't get it in our heads that it's going to be easy. But listen, if we will endure many trials for a little while, verse 9, "The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your soul." Romans 6, 22. "Now, having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness at the end, everlasting life."

    Somebody said it like this. "Living for God is hard at the beginning, messy in the middle, glorious at the end." Let's keep that in our hearts. Stick to the path.

    As saints who have gone before us, Hebrews 12, verse 1, "We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. So let us lay aside every weight and the sin which easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

    It's so easy for us to look at the stories in the Bible because we can see the beginning and the middle and then the end. But for us, it's different because we're right in the messy middle. It's difficult and then it's messy and then we're like, but is it worth it?

    And I want to remind you and encourage you, it's worth it. Keep going. Don't give up. I was thinking about the Wright brothers. These guys who were bicycle makers in the early 1900s. And they had a crazy idea. What if we put a wing on our bicycle? And we put a motor on the back.

    And maybe you've seen a reconstruction. I went down to the Military Aviation Museum. They have a reconstructed version of the first airplane. And really, it's like made out of bamboo and cloth with a bicycle in the middle and an engine pushing a propeller.

    They had a crazy idea. Maybe if we got this wing to create that slipstream, Bernoulli effect, we could get off the ground. How crazy would that be? Can you imagine if the Wright brothers could come back and see today what their invention led to?

    Can you imagine what could, like, this crazy idea of a wing on a bicycle is going to one day lead to, like, fighter jets and space shuttles? This one little thing. This little idea became a spark which grew into how many thousands of flights happen every single day, taking people all around the globe.

    They couldn't even dream of that when they put a wing on their bicycle. But I'm telling you, that one idea led to everything that we see today in our modern world. And I want to just remind you, you have no idea what God has in store for you.

    You have no idea what God has in store for you. One little decision to respond to the gospel, respond to the good news of Christ, crucified and resurrected from the dead. "Lord, save me. I'm lost. I'm broken. And I need you."

    We make that one little move toward God, and we have no idea where that is going to take our lives. I want you to know it's worth it. I want you to know from those who have gone before, they're cheering for you, the cloud of witnesses.

    I want you to know the Holy Spirit is working in you to make you holy, to reform your life and change you in miraculous ways. I want you to know that there are people who are praying for you and cheering for you. Keep going. Don't give up.

    I see you're struggling. It's okay to struggle, but don't stay there. Our fellowship began when Pastor Mitchell made a decision to take a church, 23 people. Seven of them were his own family in a dusty country town in Arizona where there were more cows than people.

    And when he made that decision by faith, he caught a wave of opportunity. God poured out his spirit. Today, our fellowship is more than 4,000 churches all around the world. 4,000 churches. It's a direct result of the faith of one. One man.

    They stuck to the plan. They didn't give up. There were a lot of hard times, and there still are a lot of hard times. There were betrayals. There were people who spoke evil. There was division. There was backbiting. There were all kinds of difficulties. But they stuck to the plan, and thank God they did.

    Without that decision, this church would not be here. Without that decision, Pastor Dave and Caitlin would not be in Kempsville. Without that decision, so many people, their lives would have been different.

    What I'm saying is I want to encourage you, stick to the plan. Stick to the path. Run your race. And God's going to help us.

    Let's bow our heads this morning and close our eyes as we bring this service to an end this morning.

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

Written with Love by Pastor Adam Dragoon

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Adam Dragoon
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