Meeting Trials and Tribulations
A Sermon on 1 Peter 1:13
Scripture
13Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
Sermon Description
Persecution of Christians is on the rise around the world and it’s not limited by geography or governmental laws. How can people of faith stand strong in the face of trials and tribulations? Is it better to ignore the issues, or face them head-on? The Apostle Paul acknowledges that instead of encountering fewer trials, Christians will have more tribulations than those who aren’t saved. Biblical trials and tribulations come from striving to live godly lives in a world that hates anything that resembles God's holiness. But yet, they are still called to rejoice. This can be hard to do, and Christians may struggle with finding joy while going through hard times. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that Christians, while talking about the joy and peace Jesus gives us, often respond to trials the same way the world does— with despair and anxiety. In this way, the Christian testimony does not line up with how they live their lives. In 1 Peter 3, the author challenges us to conquer this defeatist mindset, not by building up positive emotion, but rather by “girding up the loins” of the mind and by choosing to dwell on the greatness of salvation as shown in the biblical text. The Christian can often think too lightly about their salvation, but is encouraged to fight this and preach the gospel to themselves. God is the sovereign Father, and eternal inheritance in Him is guaranteed.
Sermon Breakdown
- God planned our salvation before the foundation of the world.
- The three persons of the Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have taken part in working out this great plan of salvation.
- The Father is the great planner and initiator. He sent the Son into the world in the fullness of time.
- The Son, Jesus Christ, humbled himself and came into the world. He suffered, died and was resurrected to accomplish our salvation.
- The Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers. He inspired the prophets and writers of Scripture. He convicts us of sin and enables us to become Christians. He continues to lead and guide us.
- As a result of the work of the Trinity, we have forgiveness of sins, we have become children of God and have access to God as our Father.
- We have only received a foretaste of our salvation in this life. Our full salvation will be revealed at the second coming of Christ.
- Our inheritance is being kept for us in heaven. We are also being kept by God's power through faith until the last time.
- We should gird up the loins of our mind - think carefully about these truths. Be sober and disciplined. Continue to hope in the grace that will be brought to us.
- Trials and difficulties in this life are meant to purify our faith and strengthen us. Our faith is more precious than gold.
- We should keep these objective truths in mind rather than our feelings and circumstances. They enable us to be more than conquerors.
Itinerant Preaching
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.