Obeying the Gospel: Faith, Truth, and Transformation

 

Summary

In the first chapter of the first Epistle of Peter, we are reminded of the transformative power of the Gospel, which calls us to purify our souls by obeying the truth. This obedience is not merely a passive acceptance but an active engagement with the divine truth revealed in the Scriptures. The Gospel is not just a set of teachings to be considered; it is God's truth, demanding our obedience and submission. This truth is not subjective or relative but absolute, coming directly from God. Our approach to the Gospel should be one of reverence and submission, recognizing it as the ultimate authority in our lives.

The essence of sin is not just the commission of wrong acts but the refusal to believe and obey God. Sin is fundamentally a rebellion against God's authority and a rejection of His truth. This disobedience leads to spiritual death and eternal separation from God. However, the Gospel offers a way of salvation through faith and obedience to the truth. This is the heart of the Christian message: justification by faith alone. It is not through our works or efforts that we are saved, but through faith in Jesus Christ, who bore our sins and offers us forgiveness and new life.

The call to obey the truth is a call to faith, to believe in the Gospel message and to trust in Christ's finished work on the cross. This obedience leads to the purification of our souls, making us new creations in Christ. It is a call to forsake sin, to leave behind our old ways, and to live in the light of God's truth. This transformation is not just an individual experience but a communal one, as we are called to love one another with a pure heart fervently, joining the family of God and living in fellowship with other believers.

Key Takeaways:

- The Gospel is God's absolute truth, demanding our obedience and submission. It is not a subjective or relative truth but a divine revelation that calls us to align our lives with its teachings. [06:42]

- Sin is fundamentally a refusal to believe and obey God, a rebellion against His authority. It is not just about committing wrong acts but about rejecting God's truth and asserting our own ideas over His. [13:56]

- Salvation is obtained through faith and obedience to the truth, not through our works or efforts. Justification by faith alone is the heart of the Christian message, offering us forgiveness and new life in Christ. [20:38]

- Obeying the truth means believing in the Gospel message, trusting in Christ's finished work on the cross, and living in the light of God's truth. It is a call to forsake sin and live as new creations in Christ. [24:40]

- The transformation brought about by obeying the truth is both individual and communal. We are called to love one another fervently, joining the family of God and living in fellowship with other believers. [43:21]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Introduction to 1 Peter 1:22
- [01:04] - The Great Reasons for the Gospel
- [02:30] - How the Gospel Becomes Ours
- [03:40] - Obeying the Truth
- [05:05] - The Purpose of Gospel Preaching
- [06:42] - God's Truth and Our Response
- [08:53] - The Objective Nature of the Gospel
- [10:27] - God's Command to Obey
- [12:39] - The Essence of Sin
- [16:12] - The Consequences of Disobedience
- [20:21] - Obeying the Truth as Salvation
- [24:40] - Faith and Obedience
- [32:36] - The Righteousness of God by Faith
- [43:21] - Love and Fellowship in the Gospel

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- 1 Peter 1:22

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#### Observation Questions
1. What does 1 Peter 1:22 say about the purification of our souls? How is this purification achieved according to the verse?
2. In the sermon, what is described as the essence of sin, and how does it relate to our obedience to God's truth? [13:56]
3. How does the sermon describe the nature of the Gospel in terms of its truth and authority? [06:42]
4. What role does faith play in the process of salvation as discussed in the sermon? [20:38]

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#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the sermon explain the relationship between obedience to the truth and the purification of our souls? What does this imply about the nature of Christian obedience? [24:40]
2. The sermon mentions that sin is fundamentally a refusal to believe and obey God. How does this understanding of sin challenge common perceptions of what sin is? [13:56]
3. According to the sermon, why is it important to view the Gospel as God's absolute truth rather than a subjective or relative truth? [06:42]
4. How does the sermon illustrate the communal aspect of transformation through the Gospel? What does this mean for our relationships with other believers? [43:21]

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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current approach to the Gospel. Do you view it as God's absolute truth, and how does this perspective influence your daily decisions and actions? [06:42]
2. Consider a time when you may have prioritized your own ideas over God's truth. How can you realign your life to be more obedient to God's authority? [13:56]
3. The sermon emphasizes justification by faith alone. How can you cultivate a deeper trust in Christ's finished work on the cross in your personal spiritual journey? [20:38]
4. In what ways can you actively participate in the communal transformation described in the sermon by loving others fervently within your church community? [43:21]
5. Identify an area of your life where you struggle with obedience to God's truth. What practical steps can you take this week to address this struggle? [24:40]
6. How can you encourage others in your small group or church to view the Gospel as the ultimate authority in their lives? What specific actions can you take to support them in this journey? [06:42]
7. Reflect on the concept of sin as a refusal to believe and obey God. How does this understanding impact your view of repentance and confession in your spiritual life? [13:56]

Devotional

Day 1: The Gospel as Absolute Truth
The Gospel is presented as God's absolute truth, demanding our obedience and submission. It is not a subjective or relative truth but a divine revelation that calls us to align our lives with its teachings. This truth, coming directly from God, requires a response of reverence and submission, recognizing it as the ultimate authority in our lives. The transformative power of the Gospel is not just in its teachings but in its call to actively engage with the divine truth revealed in the Scriptures. As believers, we are called to purify our souls by obeying this truth, which is an active engagement rather than a passive acceptance. [06:42]

1 Peter 1:22 (ESV): "Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart."

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you struggling to submit to the Gospel's authority, and how can you actively engage with God's truth today?


Day 2: Sin as Rebellion Against God
Sin is fundamentally a refusal to believe and obey God, a rebellion against His authority. It is not just about committing wrong acts but about rejecting God's truth and asserting our own ideas over His. This disobedience leads to spiritual death and eternal separation from God. Understanding sin in this way highlights the gravity of our rebellion and the need for repentance. The Gospel offers a way of salvation through faith and obedience to the truth, calling us to turn away from our rebellion and submit to God's authority. [13:56]

1 Samuel 15:23 (ESV): "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king."

Reflection: Identify a belief or behavior in your life that contradicts God's truth. How can you begin to align this area with God's authority today?


Day 3: Salvation Through Faith and Obedience
Salvation is obtained through faith and obedience to the truth, not through our works or efforts. Justification by faith alone is the heart of the Christian message, offering us forgiveness and new life in Christ. This call to obey the truth is a call to faith, to believe in the Gospel message and to trust in Christ's finished work on the cross. It is through this faith that we are justified and made new creations in Christ, not by our own efforts but by His grace. [20:38]

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV): "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Reflection: Reflect on an area where you are relying on your own efforts for salvation. How can you shift your focus to trust in Christ's finished work today?


Day 4: Living in the Light of God's Truth
Obeying the truth means believing in the Gospel message, trusting in Christ's finished work on the cross, and living in the light of God's truth. It is a call to forsake sin and live as new creations in Christ. This transformation is not just an individual experience but a communal one, as we are called to love one another with a pure heart fervently. By living in the light of God's truth, we join the family of God and live in fellowship with other believers, reflecting His love and grace to the world. [24:40]

Colossians 3:9-10 (ESV): "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."

Reflection: What is one old habit or sin you need to forsake to live as a new creation in Christ? What steps can you take today to begin this transformation?


Day 5: Transformation Through Love and Fellowship
The transformation brought about by obeying the truth is both individual and communal. We are called to love one another fervently, joining the family of God and living in fellowship with other believers. This love is a reflection of the Gospel's transformative power in our lives, as we are made new creations in Christ. By living in fellowship with other believers, we grow in our faith and reflect God's love to the world, fulfilling the call to be His disciples. [43:21]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

Reflection: How can you actively participate in your church community to foster love and fellowship? What is one specific way you can encourage a fellow believer this week?

Quotes


The business and object of the preaching of the Gospel is after all to call men to obey the truth. You people, says Peter, are Christians and you are enjoying these various Privileges and I'm appealing to you to live in a certain way. Why? Well, because you have obeyed the truth. [00:05:02]

The Gospel calls upon us to obey the truth. Why? Well, the first answer is this: because it claims that it is God's truth. Now then, this is the way in which we should always approach the Gospel. That is how we should always approach this book when we read it. [00:06:42]

Our danger always is to approach the gospel in a purely subjective manner instead of realizing that it is something that is objective, that comes to us from God. Far too often we approach the gospel in some such way as this: we are feeling unhappy and we'd like to be happy. [00:07:57]

The very essence of sin is to disobey God and to rebel against him and his command. Here again is something that we are so constantly forgetting. Ask an average person what he means by sin and you'll probably get this reply: oh, sin is doing something that you shouldn't do. [00:12:53]

The essence of sin is this: refusal to believe God is to assert our s and our ideas and our Notions over against God. That is the very essence of sin. Wasn't that the first sin? God had said, the devil came to Adam and Eve and said, he God said, why has God said? [00:14:24]

Ultimately what leads to Perdition and to hell is just this: refused to listen to and to believe and to obey God's word in the gospel. Listen to the Apostle Paul putting it in a very striking and in a very terrifying manner in his Second Epistle to the Thessalonians. [00:16:23]

Obeying this truth is the way of Salvation. Oh, this is what makes it good news. This is what makes it gospel. This is the thing that is so thrilling about it. This is the great message of the New Testament: that the way of Salvation is obtained by obeying the gospel. [00:20:38]

The way of Salvation is obtained by obeying the gospel. Now, this of course is not only the great truth of the New Testament, this was the great truth of course of the Protestant Reformation. What was that Protestant Reformation? Let me remind you what it was. [00:21:03]

The just shall live by faith and immediately he found release, he knew his sins were forgiven, he was right with God, he was a new man and the whole of the Protestant Reformation came out of that. Well now, that's the very thing that our text tonight is saying. [00:22:34]

Obedience unto the truth is the way of Salvation. It is not good works, it is not just living a good life, it is not just being religious or a member of a church, it is not doing religious duties, it is not making sacrifices, it will never come that way. [00:25:04]

The man who believes this truth has purified himself, his sins are forgiven. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. That's what to believe in him means. [00:43:21]

The truth tells you to come exactly as you are, exactly as you are. God justifieth the ungodly. I've said it before, you know, this is what makes the preaching of this gospel such a marvelous wonderful romantic thing. I give up a thousand professions to have the privilege of doing this. [00:45:18]

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Transcript
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