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Sermon #5685

Belief in God

A Sermon on 1 Peter 1:20-21

Originally preached Dec. 13, 1959

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Scripture

1 Peter 1:20-21 ESV KJV
He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (ESV)

Sermon Description

What does it mean to believe in God? There is perhaps no question that is more important to answer in this life. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones seeks to do just this in this sermon on belief from 1 Peter 1:20-21. He says that there is a kind of knowledge that is impersonal and vague: it is the knowledge of God that even the demons know. For they know He exists and who He is, but they do not believe in Him in a saving way. The belief of Christians is quite different from this because Christians believe that God both exists and is worthy of praise and worship. They believe that God revealed Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the Jesus that died, rose from the grave, and now rules in heaven from where He will come to judge the living and the dead. They know Jesus as Lord and Savior who loves them and has died for them to make them inheritors in the life to come. To know God is to believe in His Son and to believe in His Gospel. All must ask themselves: do you believe in Jesus Christ and do you know God? There is no more important question.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The sermon focuses on 1 Peter 1:20-21 which talks about Jesus being foreordained before the foundation of the world and manifest in the last times for those who believe in God.

  2. The sermon has looked at this passage over 10 weeks to understand the gospel message and purpose.

  3. The sermon asks if we know and believe in this salvation and are rejoicing in it. The angels desire to understand this salvation.

  4. The sermon will look at tests from 1 Peter to see if we are Christians. The first test is if we believe in God, with faith and hope in God.

  5. Believing in God is not a vague belief but an active committal to God where He governs our whole life.

  6. Believing in God means our whole outlook is determined by God as our creator and judge. We live under His eye and obey His word.

  7. Believing in God affects all of life from thinking to planning to living. We can't do certain worldly things.

  8. There are only two ways of life: committed to God or not committed to God. We must choose.

  9. Believing in God means risking everything on Him, with faith and hope in Him, not the world.

  10. The second test is how do we come to believe in God. 1 Peter 1:21 says through Jesus who was raised and glorified.

  11. The resurrection proves Jesus is the Son of God. God gave Him glory through the resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost.

  12. The resurrection and glory show Jesus had to be the Son of God. He said He would rise and send the Spirit.

  13. The resurrection shows Jesus died to save us. He came to die as the Lamb to take away sins. The resurrection shows His work was enough.

  14. We see from this that God forgives us, adopts us, and loves us. Jesus was made lower than angels to die for us and is now crowned in glory.

  15. God is preparing us for the glory Jesus has. We will be brought to glory. Jesus is preparing a place for us.

  16. The resurrection shows we will rise. Death and the grave are conquered. Our faith and hope are in God alone.

  17. We can reject the world's prizes to follow Jesus, with faith and hope in God, not the world.

  18. We must ask if we believe in God, with faith and hope in Him, determining all we do. Make certain of this.

Other Sermons

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.