This Salvation

1 Peter  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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No matter what comes our way, we can live in full confidence because of our eternal salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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1 Peter: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Chapter 4: Salvation’s Greatness (1 Peter 1:10–12)

The story began one summer’s day toward the end of the nineteenth century when an English city boy was on a visit to rural Scotland. That afternoon the boy went swimming in a small countryside lake. After swimming quite a distance from shore, a severe cramp seized him so that he could not continue swimming. He was in great pain and soon cried out at the top of his voice for help. A farm boy working in a nearby field heard the city boy’s screams and ran as fast as he could to the lake. There the farm boy threw off his shirt, dived into the water, swam to the imperiled city boy, and brought him safely to the shore.

Several years later the two boys met again. The city boy, still filled with gratitude that the other boy had saved his life, was thrilled to see the farm boy again and asked him what career the boy had decided to pursue. The farm boy said he had chosen a career in medicine. Since the city boy’s parents were quite wealthy and were greatly indebted to the other boy for saving their son’s life, upon hearing of the farm boy’s career choice they immediately promised to pay for his medical education. They followed through on their promise and the young man went on to have a brilliant career in scientific investigation.

In 1928 that farm boy, then both a physician and bacteriologist, discovered the famous wonder drug penicillin. In 1945 he shared the Nobel prize with two other scientists for the discovery and development of that antibiotic. That Scottish farm boy turned scientific researcher, who died in 1955, was Alexander Fleming.

The rescued city boy also gained great renown. During World War II he contracted a life-threatening case of pneumonia. He recovered at a hospital after receiving penicillin, which meant that indirectly the one-time farm boy Alexander Fleming had saved his life twice. The city boy’s name was Winston Churchill, the famous wartime British prime minister and world statesman. Interestingly, just like Fleming, Churchill won a Nobel prize. But in his instance, he won the 1953 award in literature for his incisive writings on the history of the Second World War.

1 Peter: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Chapter 4: Salvation’s Greatness (1 Peter 1:10–12)

The story began one summer’s day toward the end of the nineteenth century when an English city boy was on a visit to rural Scotland. That afternoon the boy went swimming in a small countryside lake. After swimming quite a distance from shore, a severe cramp seized him so that he could not continue swimming. He was in great pain and soon cried out at the top of his voice for help. A farm boy working in a nearby field heard the city boy’s screams and ran as fast as he could to the lake. There the farm boy threw off his shirt, dived into the water, swam to the imperiled city boy, and brought him safely to the shore.

Several years later the two boys met again. The city boy, still filled with gratitude that the other boy had saved his life, was thrilled to see the farm boy again and asked him what career the boy had decided to pursue. The farm boy said he had chosen a career in medicine. Since the city boy’s parents were quite wealthy and were greatly indebted to the other boy for saving their son’s life, upon hearing of the farm boy’s career choice they immediately promised to pay for his medical education. They followed through on their promise and the young man went on to have a brilliant career in scientific investigation.

In 1928 that farm boy, then both a physician and bacteriologist, discovered the famous wonder drug penicillin. In 1945 he shared the Nobel prize with two other scientists for the discovery and development of that antibiotic. That Scottish farm boy turned scientific researcher, who died in 1955, was Alexander Fleming.

The rescued city boy also gained great renown. During World War II he contracted a life-threatening case of pneumonia. He recovered at a hospital after receiving penicillin, which meant that indirectly the one-time farm boy Alexander Fleming had saved his life twice. The city boy’s name was Winston Churchill, the famous wartime British prime minister and world statesman. Interestingly, just like Fleming, Churchill won a Nobel prize. But in his instance, he won the 1953 award in literature for his incisive writings on the history of the Second World War.

1 Peter: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Chapter 4: Salvation’s Greatness (1 Peter 1:10–12)

The story began one summer’s day toward the end of the nineteenth century when an English city boy was on a visit to rural Scotland. That afternoon the boy went swimming in a small countryside lake. After swimming quite a distance from shore, a severe cramp seized him so that he could not continue swimming. He was in great pain and soon cried out at the top of his voice for help. A farm boy working in a nearby field heard the city boy’s screams and ran as fast as he could to the lake. There the farm boy threw off his shirt, dived into the water, swam to the imperiled city boy, and brought him safely to the shore.

Several years later the two boys met again. The city boy, still filled with gratitude that the other boy had saved his life, was thrilled to see the farm boy again and asked him what career the boy had decided to pursue. The farm boy said he had chosen a career in medicine. Since the city boy’s parents were quite wealthy and were greatly indebted to the other boy for saving their son’s life, upon hearing of the farm boy’s career choice they immediately promised to pay for his medical education. They followed through on their promise and the young man went on to have a brilliant career in scientific investigation.

In 1928 that farm boy, then both a physician and bacteriologist, discovered the famous wonder drug penicillin. In 1945 he shared the Nobel prize with two other scientists for the discovery and development of that antibiotic. That Scottish farm boy turned scientific researcher, who died in 1955, was Alexander Fleming.

The rescued city boy also gained great renown. During World War II he contracted a life-threatening case of pneumonia. He recovered at a hospital after receiving penicillin, which meant that indirectly the one-time farm boy Alexander Fleming had saved his life twice. The city boy’s name was Winston Churchill, the famous wartime British prime minister and world statesman. Interestingly, just like Fleming, Churchill won a Nobel prize. But in his instance, he won the 1953 award in literature for his incisive writings on the history of the Second World War.

1 Peter: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Chapter 4: Salvation’s Greatness (1 Peter 1:10–12)

The story began one summer’s day toward the end of the nineteenth century when an English city boy was on a visit to rural Scotland. That afternoon the boy went swimming in a small countryside lake. After swimming quite a distance from shore, a severe cramp seized him so that he could not continue swimming. He was in great pain and soon cried out at the top of his voice for help. A farm boy working in a nearby field heard the city boy’s screams and ran as fast as he could to the lake. There the farm boy threw off his shirt, dived into the water, swam to the imperiled city boy, and brought him safely to the shore.

Several years later the two boys met again. The city boy, still filled with gratitude that the other boy had saved his life, was thrilled to see the farm boy again and asked him what career the boy had decided to pursue. The farm boy said he had chosen a career in medicine. Since the city boy’s parents were quite wealthy and were greatly indebted to the other boy for saving their son’s life, upon hearing of the farm boy’s career choice they immediately promised to pay for his medical education. They followed through on their promise and the young man went on to have a brilliant career in scientific investigation.

In 1928 that farm boy, then both a physician and bacteriologist, discovered the famous wonder drug penicillin. In 1945 he shared the Nobel prize with two other scientists for the discovery and development of that antibiotic. That Scottish farm boy turned scientific researcher, who died in 1955, was Alexander Fleming.

The rescued city boy also gained great renown. During World War II he contracted a life-threatening case of pneumonia. He recovered at a hospital after receiving penicillin, which meant that indirectly the one-time farm boy Alexander Fleming had saved his life twice. The city boy’s name was Winston Churchill, the famous wartime British prime minister and world statesman. Interestingly, just like Fleming, Churchill won a Nobel prize. But in his instance, he won the 1953 award in literature for his incisive writings on the history of the Second World War.

This past week, I ran across a fascinating story that I felt I must share, especially in relation to the message dealing with our salvation.
1 Peter: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Chapter 4: Salvation’s Greatness (1 Peter 1:10–12)

The story began one summer’s day toward the end of the nineteenth century when an English city boy was on a visit to rural Scotland. That afternoon the boy went swimming in a small countryside lake. After swimming quite a distance from shore, a severe cramp seized him so that he could not continue swimming. He was in great pain and soon cried out at the top of his voice for help. A farm boy working in a nearby field heard the city boy’s screams and ran as fast as he could to the lake. There the farm boy threw off his shirt, dived into the water, swam to the imperiled city boy, and brought him safely to the shore.

Several years later the two boys met again. The city boy, still filled with gratitude that the other boy had saved his life, was thrilled to see the farm boy again and asked him what career the boy had decided to pursue. The farm boy said he had chosen a career in medicine. Since the city boy’s parents were quite wealthy and were greatly indebted to the other boy for saving their son’s life, upon hearing of the farm boy’s career choice they immediately promised to pay for his medical education. They followed through on their promise and the young man went on to have a brilliant career in scientific investigation.

In 1928 that farm boy, then both a physician and bacteriologist, discovered the famous wonder drug penicillin. In 1945 he shared the Nobel prize with two other scientists for the discovery and development of that antibiotic. That Scottish farm boy turned scientific researcher, who died in 1955, was Alexander Fleming.

The rescued city boy also gained great renown. During World War II he contracted a life-threatening case of pneumonia. He recovered at a hospital after receiving penicillin, which meant that indirectly the one-time farm boy Alexander Fleming had saved his life twice. The city boy’s name was Winston Churchill, the famous wartime British prime minister and world statesman. Interestingly, just like Fleming, Churchill won a Nobel prize. But in his instance, he won the 1953 award in literature for his incisive writings on the history of the Second World War.

As wonderful as that story was, just as I’ve stated previously, the greatest joy I’ve experienced is when someone comes to salvation through Jesus Christ. In fact, when we consider everything else in this life, whether good or bad, the most important thing to consider is one’s salvation.
No matter what comes our way, we can live in full confidence because of our eternal salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Peter takes some time in these few verses to look at salvation in a somewhat analytical way.
1 Peter 1:10–12 NASB95
As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.
1 Peter 1:1

Old Testament Prophets Pondering Salvation Means. - 1:10-11a

This salvation is a direct reference to what Peter wrote in verse 9. These godly men, the Old Testament prophets, spoke about this salvation that was yet to come. They didn’t understand it, but they obediently prophesied what God had told them to do. Here, we see that they were not content to merely proclaim the message, but they set out to study all they could in order to try to understand the message. Their prophesies were predictive, as it had not yet happened during their time.
Now even though they spoke about it as yet to come, we know from that they had actually received salvation. So even though they were not understanding all that was involved in what Christ would do for them, they still spoke of it, and through faith already received the results of it.
Hebrews 11:39–40 NASB95
And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.
What would cause these prophets to be so diligent and curious in their study? In fact, the passage stades that they made careful searches and inquiries. This was some pretty serious studying because they wanted to understand better what God had inspired them to share. Though I used the word pondering to alliterate my point, the wording refers to intensive searching and diligent research about this salvation.
It might have been on the grace that would come. After all, they understood that we were all sinners. They also were quite familiar with the need for obedience with sacrifices, righteous living, etc. They realized that they were also God’s chosen people. At this point, they are wrestling with a concept that really was somewhat unfamiliar at the time. At this point, grace was somehow mysteriously connected to a person’s desire to live for God. We see the parameters set out in the Old Testament law. We also see it in the life of Noah and Job, as there was a desire to please God and live for Him. There was much that had not yet been clearly revealed.
However, the prophets had been sharing about God’s Messiah showing grace and mercy on sinners who were obviously undeserving in so many ways. These same prophets were wrestling with what they’ve been proclaiming that God’s grace, this salvation, would be available to all people on the earth, not just the Jewish people.
I want to make sure that we understand that this whole concept was that God’s grace would be visibly shown when the Messiah arrived on this earth. The reality is that salvation has always been only of grace. No one ever earned God’s grace. The sinner has always had access to salvation since the beginning of time, as we’ve read in multiple places in the Old Testament.
Rarely in the Old Testament did any of the prophets see salvation coming to Gentile nations. However, the prophets spoke of this salvation coming through the Messiah in ways far greater than anything they had been privileged to see.
Let’s take a bit to look at some specifics that the prophets spoke about that would cause them to ponder as they studied this all more closely in an attempt to understand more. One thing which stands out quite clearly is that the Messiah would suffer, even speaking about His crucifixion. Another is that, though the Messiah would suffer, He would end up victorious. An obvious one which gives great joy and hope is that the Messiah would rise from the dead and 40 days later ascend to heaven The prophets recognized that this Messiah would bring good news of salvation.
The questions the prophets were seemingly bent on discovering the answers to would be who the Messiah would be and when would this all take place. Even John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets shared this concern.
Matthew 11:1–3 NASB95
When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities. Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”
Matthew 11:1–5 NASB95
When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities. Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Holy Spirit Predicted Salvation Methods. - 1:11b-12a

The methods which the prophets spoke about in reference to the grace that would come in our salvation seems to be the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. We already are familiar with the multiple Old Testament passages which speak to the suffering Christ, as well as the many passages which speak of His resurrection, ascension, and sitting at the right hand of God. These prophecies were given by the Spirit of Christ within them. This is a direct reference to the Holy Spirit. Implied in this phrase is also the fact that Christ is eternal, existing before His earthly birth. Even the words was indicating signifies that He was making it plain in the prophets’ writing. As He predicted literally means witnessed beforehand. Even in the prophets time, they were moved to write down exactly what was going to happen several hundred years in the future. And it was completely accurate since it was inspired by God.
The phrase it was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, helps us to understand that they were not prophesying this for their benefit, but rather for those who would read this later. The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was to still remain a mystery until the appointed time. As the writers of Hebrews points out:
Hebrews 11:13 NASB95
All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
Just as the Old Testament prophets lived in hope of Messiah providing salvation after His first coming, we also live in hope of the fulfillment and culmination of our salvation by being in the presence of Christ eternally as we look toward His second coming.
John MacArthur summarized this wonderfully:
1 Peter: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Salvation Was the Theme of the Spirit’s Inspiration

God was always applying the new covenant, always by grace offering forgiveness of sins to those who repented and believed, although the new covenant was not ratified until the cross. Old Testament believers were saved by a future grace, New Testament ones by a past grace—the Cross is the pinnacle of redemption.

Apostles Preached Salvation Message. - 1:12b

These things is speaking specifically to this salvation. The apostles, also inspired by the Holy Spirit, were preaching the gospel message of salvation which had been revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ. All of this was possible by the power of the Holy Spirit send from heaven.
What exactly is the gospel which was being preached?
Acts 2:38–39 NASB95
Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
Acts 2:28
Folks, I must stress to you that this message was not based on intelligence or charisma. It was done with absolute earnestness and devotion as one who had been spiritually dead and then given a new life. The message was and is being proclaimed to those who were and are walking around, dead in their sins.
1 Corinthians 2:1–5 NASB95
And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Angels Probe Salvation Meaning. - 1:12c

There has always been a fascination with angels, unfortunately, an obsession by some. We know of some of the things which angels do. They fight against demons; some are tasked with the job of giving messages from God to people; all of them are to do whatever God wants them to do. We also know that angels are in the presence of God.
However, we have something which the angels don’t even understand, nor can they experience. We receive God’s free gift of salvation. We experience forgiveness from sin and the guilt that accompanies sin. We see here that salvation is something into which angels long to look. The word for long is a powerful desire, or as the NLT states eagerly watching. It is actually a strong passion, almost an obsession to understand. The word to look shows even more of the intensity of their wish. It is the same word used to show John looking into Jesus’ burial tomb: and stooping and looking in. This sounds almost like an insatiable curiosity. It will never be able to be satisfied.
Why the curiosity? After all, God’s angels don’t need to be saved and those who serve Satan can never be saved. Yet, we must realize that because the angels exist to serve God, they most likely want to understand salvation better so that they can glorify God more completely. The wording shows that this is a continuing fascination. That might help to explain a bit better the fact of the angels rejoicing over a lost sinner coming to salvation.

Conclusion

We certainly cannot fully explain our understand our salvation. However, we see that Peter has been encouraging us so far that we can certainly be thankful for our salvation. We have been promised an eternal salvation through the One Who can completely fulfill His promises. What an amazing blessing to actually be alive in this time period and able to experience the salvation which the prophets of the Old Testament looked forward to taking place.
No matter what comes our way, we can live in full confidence because of our eternal salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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