Sermon or Lesson:  1 Peter 1:8-9 (NIV based)
[Lesson Questions included]

TITLE:  Possessing Double Joy As We Obtain The Outcome Of Our Faith That God Desires
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READ:  1 Peter 1:8-9, with vv.6-7 for context

BACKGROUND:
- - Under direct authorization from Jesus Christ, Peter is writing this letter to convey instructions from God to true believers, who, in this case, were suffering persecution for their faith in Christ.  (v.1)
- - God selects specific persons to become true believers.  (v.1)
- - And God spiritually cleanses true believers and sanctifies or sets them apart for His holy purposes.  (v.2)
- - In His abundant mercy, God also gives believers spiritual and physical regenerating resurrection, an unfading inheritance in heaven, and a security guarantee on them taking hands-on possession of salvation in heaven.  (vv.3-5)
- - Because of and through this establishing, assisting, empowering, and guaranteeing from God, true believers are to live in righteousness in every area of their life, even when they are under persecution for the faith.  (v.2)
- - And thereby, God deserves praise, glory, and honor for all these things that He does for the benefit of true believers.  (vv.3,7)
- - God intends that believers maintain a mindset in which they greatly rejoice about the future blessings that are coming for them, which will sustain believers as they endure trials and suffering in the present during this life.  (v.6)
- - Through the proving of our faith within adverse trials, we true believers will be prepared to give tremendous praise, glory, and honor to God and to Jesus Christ when He is revealed at His second coming.  (v.7)
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v.8 - READ

[Lesson Question:  Discuss and analyze the truths in verse 8, and then construct a general comprising principle that cohesively includes those truths.  Be sure to take into consideration the context that precedes this verse 8.]

SECTION POINT:  God uses persecution and adversities in our life to develop a faith that remains trusting and strong, despite the intense grief we are suffering.

- - A truth that is stated in previous verse 7 is that God desires for our faith to be refined and "proved genuine", in the midst of enduring "all kinds of trials" (v.6) and persecution because of our faith.
- - Here in verse 8 is cited a quality or characteristic of a refined genuine faith - that we have developed a "love" for Jesus Christ even "though [we] have not seen him".
- - Another quality or characteristic of a refined genuine faith is that we have developed a firm unshakeable faith in Jesus Christ "even though [we] do not see him now".  (cf. John 20:29)
- - A third quality or characteristic of a refined genuine faith is that we possess "an inexpressible and glorious joy", knowing about the tremendous blessings that God is and will be lavishing on us.  (see v.6a, which refers to the truths in vv.1-5)
- - In the Greek, this phrase about joy literally translates as: "to jump for joy" "with joy" "unspeakable" "and" "glorious", suggesting physically jumping with double joy that is so extreme and glorious that it "cannot be spoken" or adequately expressed in words by that extremely joyous person.  (Strong's #0021, #5479, #0412, #2532, #1392)

- - By implication from the context, God designs, intends, and orchestrates that during our life, we are exposed to and experience "all kinds of trials" in which we suffer grief for our faith, so that these qualities are produced in our faith and become firmly established in our faith.  (v.6)
- - Even though we have never seen Jesus Christ, nevertheless we love Him - by faith.
- - Even though we do not see Jesus Christ now, nevertheless we believe in Him - by faith.
- - Even though we suffer persecution and grief for our faith, nevertheless we possess double joy - by faith.
- - We have firmly established faith in God and Jesus Christ even though our environment and circumstances do not support our holding of this faith and perhaps even contradict our holding of this faith.
- - Trust God while possessing informed extreme joy, regardless of how terrible life is for you.
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v.9 - READ

[Lesson Question:  Discuss, analyze, determine, and describe how the contents in verse 9 fit with the general comprising principle that you constructed during your study of verse 8.  Be sure to take into consideration the context of verses that precede this verse 9.  Also, note that the first three words of verse 9, "for you are" in the NIV translation, are not present in the original Greek.]

SECTION POINT:  God uses persecution and adversities in our life to develop our faith so that we 'obtain the outcome of our faith that God desires', values, and will bless us for greatly.

- - In the midst of this refining and proving of our faith to make it genuine (v.7), there is the occurring of "receiving" or "obtaining" the "goal" or "outcome" of our faith, "the salvation of [our] souls".  (v.9 - Strong's #2865; NAS)
- - Each day that passes, true believers move one day closer to the "last" day of their life on this earth, whereupon they will take hands-on possession of salvation in heaven - "the salvation of [their] souls".  (vv.5,9)
- - Until that last day of life on earth comes, true believers meanwhile are to be busy doing the Father's will, fulfilling and accomplishing all that God has designated and ordained them to do, thereby obtaining the outcome of their faith that God desires.  (cf. John 6:38)
-- This activity in verse 9 of 'obtaining the outcome of our faith that God desires' includes:
- - - - in verse 6 - the entire process of the enduring of "all kinds of trials", within which occurs suffering of grief for our faith;
- - - - in verse 7 - the refining and proving of our faith as genuine;
- - - - in verse 8 - the subsequent developing of love for Jesus Christ and unshakeable faith in Jesus Christ;
- - - - in verse 8 - the generating and establishing of "inexpressible and glorious joy" in the spiritual hearts of true believers.
- - All of these aspects of the activity of 'obtaining the outcome of our faith that God desires' are very pleasing to God, being valued and of great worth to Him.  (v.7)
- - So, if we properly and fully comprehend what God is doing in this regard and how, we have multiple reasons why we should eagerly and persistently pursue submitting ourselves to whatever God has ordained for us as we work to 'obtain the outcome of our faith'.  And, we have multiple reasons why we should view our present suffering for our faith with an attitude of double joy.  (vv.8,6)
- - In a sense, we true believers need to see by faith the goals - the results - the outcomes that God is working to accomplish in us, and through us, and for us, when we are enduring ongoing trials that produce suffering of grief for our faith.
- - In other words, we need to see or regard what is happening to us in our adverse trials as the process that God uses to grow and mature us in the faith, and then we trust God and take by faith that in the future He will be pouring out on us double-joy-generating great resulting blessings if we always respond to our adverse trials in a thoroughly godly manner.
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BIG IDEA:  Persecution and adversities in our life are designed and intended by God to develop and strengthen our faith, which will produce the outcomes that God will bless us for greatly.

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IMPLICATIONS AND APPLICATIONS:

- - For those of you who are a true believer, do you love Jesus Christ?  Genuinely?  Deeply?  Fervently?
- - Do you have a firm unshakeable faith in Jesus Christ?
- - Do you possess "an inexpressible and glorious joy" about your faith and love of Jesus Christ?
- - Do your faith, joy, and love of Jesus Christ extend to you being visibly and publicly open, verbal, and bold about Jesus Christ?
- - Do you comprehend and accept that God uses adverse trials to grow and mature you in the faith?
- - Do you comprehend and accept that in the midst of adverse trials, God wants you to trust Him completely, even if you are suffering intense hardship and grief because of your faith?
- - Do you comprehend and accept that God wants you to take by faith that in the future He will be pouring out on you double-joy-generating great resulting blessings if you always respond to your adverse trials in a thoroughly godly manner?
- - Do you comprehend and accept that God is working to help you obtain the outcome of your faith that He desires, which He will greatly bless you for in the future?
- - Are you now ready to henceforth be busy doing the Father's will, fulfilling and accomplishing all that God has designated and ordained you to do?  Until that last day of your life on this earth?  Even in the midst of intense suffering for your faith?
- - And, can you find great joy - double joy - in fulfilling and accomplishing all that God has designated and ordained you to do and to experience?

- - For those of you who are not a true believer in Jesus Christ, do you realize that you are on the path in which there will be no salvation of your soul?
- - And, do you realize that any joy that you experience in this life will be temporal, fleeting, and of absolutely no value or benefit to you after your last moment of life on this earth, when you become locked for eternity as an unbeliever?
- - But, do you also realize that at least for this present moment, God is offering to rescue you from the path of no "salvation of your soul", if you will believe in Jesus Christ "even though you do not see Him now"?  (vv.9,8)
- - Which joy do you think would be wise for you to choose: the joy that you experience until the last day of your life on this earth and no longer, or the double joy that you can start experiencing in this life from having faith and salvation in Jesus Christ, and continuing forever into eternity - "inexpressible and glorious joy"?
- - To give you additional information as you contemplate which path you are going to take, also consider that salvation can only be accomplished and acquired through faith in Jesus Christ, as He declares in John 14:6 "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.""
- - So, if you are interested in making a wise decision about the path you are going to take for your future, then keep coming to these meetings to learn more about the requirements that God has for you to become a true believer, to receive "the salvation of your soul" which thereby would qualify you to correspondingly experience double joy - "inexpressible and glorious joy" in eternity.
- - In our next study in 1 Peter, we will be discussing more aspects of the requirements that God has for becoming a true believer.
- - So, come again next time.
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[Additional Lesson Questions to ponder (optional, if time allows):
- - For those of you who are true believers, how often do you think about the receiving of your salvation?  And when you do think about it, in what way?
- - Over the time that you have been a true believer in Jesus Christ, recall in chronological order what you thought the outcome of your faith was suppose to be and how it changed into what you next thought it was suppose to be, and so on.  Can you now identify any pattern pertaining to how over time you changed what you thought the outcome of your faith was suppose to be?]
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Works Cited:
Bible. The Comparative Study Bible: A Parallel Bible Presenting New International Version, New American Standard Bible,
     Amplified Bible, King James Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.

Bible. “The Holy Bible: New International Version.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.

“Strong's Greek Dictionary.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.
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File name:  1Peter1_8-9-SermonOrLesson.___ (.htm, .rtf, .doc, .pdf)
Translation used:  NIV, quoted or referred to in various places within this document
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