Concerning this Salvation - Rejoicing, Searching & Inquiring
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Concerning this Salvation - Rejoicing, Searching & Inquiring
Concerning this Salvation - Rejoicing, Searching & Inquiring
At the mention of board or group games, some people are either somewhat excited and exhilarated, while others begin to look for an escape route.
It’s not that games in one form or another are good or bad. It’s that some of us do not perform well publicly under pressure or when we are tested without what we feel is adequate time to prepare. There are probably multiple reasons why some of us might cringe at speaking before others. The difficulty experienced by some in putting things into words or in print isn’t always because they don’t know and can’t do it. It’s often that what innately seems to come naturally can’t always be put into words. To phrase that another way. Those who know and do sometimes find it very difficult to explain the how.
Jeremy Mullin
Some self taught craftsmen
Electronics and games
Some musicians who play by ear
Understanding something of the disconnect between knowing/doing and explaining it does not lessen the discomfort. In the midst of a charades type game that was being played by teams, one individual exclaimed in frustration, “Sometimes, I feel like a bag of stupid!”
Whether we like it or not, life is never without pressures or challenges. So, sooner or later, if we are to cope in any way, we are forced to learn appropriate coping mechanisms. Whether they are cop-outs or not, is a personal conclusion, but sometimes it helps to try and keep the end in view so that we do not become overwhelmed by the immediate hurdles bumps in the road.
Writing to scattered believers who were facing various trials, Peter encouraged them to keep their salvation and God’s grace to them in clear view. By doing this, concerning salvation, they would:
Rejoice in the salvation of their souls - 1 Peter 1:6-9
During times of unrest/trial/pain, it is tempting to focus on the temporal/immediate.
In this salvation you rejoice though:
Salvation, genuine salvation and joy/rejoicing are inseparable. That was unequivocally emphasized by Christ. In 3 parables, Jesus underscored this truth, relating 3 stories of the lost sheep - Lk 15:4-7 - the lost coin - Lk 15:8-10 - and the prodigal son - Lk 15:11-32 .
Each story featured the image of that which is lost, a lost soul that is found/forgiven. Each story ended with a celebration of joy, rejoicing that what had been lost was found, all of this illustrated the joy in heaven over the salvation of a lost soul. Jesus underscored the great joy involved.
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”
Peter’s goal seems to have been affirming and strengthening the rejoicing of those to whom he wrote. After all, with Jesus having emphasized that joy was the natural spiritual emotional response to salvation, there was not reason if they took the long view to also rejoice.
While Peter would have remembered those parables, when he heard what Jesus taught, it would have been a further reminder of what the OT psalmists and prophets had proclaimed.
Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.
It should not surprise us then that Gospel of salvation is much more than forgiveness of sin and heaven, it is about the great joy of sins forgiven.
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
While the NT preaching of the Gospel resulted in rejoicing after conversion, it was not Gospel light. The horrible eternal implications of sin were never downplayed.
this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you 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 for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
In this you rejoice - agalliao - greatly rejoice - intense expressive term - stronger than the ordinary word - rejoice -chairo .
In Matt 5:12 - Jesus used both words together. It means to be exceedingly glad and conveys a joy that flows from within.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Grieved now by various trials
Having reminded those scattered believers of the depth, the scope and the richness of their salvation & sanctification, Peter then gently but clearly acknowledged what weighed heavily on the hearts of those believers. That is why would a loving God allow them to be scattered and in those diaspara location to face trials in the form of persecution. Rather than dwell on the nature of the persecution being faced, Peter reminded them of what he and they should remember. These were trials allowed by the Lord to test the genuineness of their faith.
Some might comment that God knows whether my professed faith is genuine. Isn’t that enough? No it is not. Genuine faith is more than a signed certificate that we place in a drawer or on a shelf. Genuine faith stands the test of fire.
That the tested genuineness of your faith might in the praise and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Now for a little while - as compared to eternity. So there was again a gentle reminded to focus on eternity, rather than short term pain that might have if allowed to overshadow the eternal joy.
That the genuineness of your faith, though it is tested by fire -
Genuineness - presupposes that not all professed faith is not necessarily genuine.
Genuineness - proof - term used to describe the assaying of metal - a metal’s purity and composition becomes evident only with the smelter process. This is ot the place to describe the whole smelter process used in that day. Sufficient to say that with fire and heat many impurities and waste was consumed by the fire. As various temperatures other molten metals, some of them precious pooled and could be separated. Then as now some chemicals were used, but Peter mentioned fire, the most common tool.
When we consider broader Biblical context for this kind of testing, testing really is an act of kindness by God so that others and we might know if the faith that we profess is genuine faith.
Jesus explained that all fruit and works are not genuine. He did by reminding us that there false teachers and false professions of faith, professions based on “good” religious works rather than saving faith.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
“Gold that perishes”, probably warrants a brief comments. While once refined, gold is one of most stable precious metals. But is does tarnish. And even though it endures and is of great value, you can take it with you. What ever wealth one might amass, genuine faith is what counts to God.
Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.
Genuine faith may result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Various ways of understanding this. Both of these hinge on who expresses the praise and who receive it.
Some suggest that the genuineness of faith might result in the exoneration of the wronged believer. While that might happen, Peter later noted that in that context, the bottom line should be that God is glorified.
Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
The other option, the one to which Peter probably refers here, is that faithfulness in trials results in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. While we might tend to think that Peter might suggest keep going, your goal is to glorify God,
1 Peter: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Confidence in a Promised Honor
Incredibly, believers, who in this life are called to give honor to the Lord always, can by their faithfulness in trials elicit praise from the Lord in the life to come (cf. 1 Sam. 2:26; Pss. 41:11; 106:4; Prov. 8:35; 12:2; Acts 7:46).
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
Glory - When He appears, we will be like Him for we shall see Him as he is - 1 Jn 3:2
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
Honours - rewards for those who work built on built for Christ when tested by fire is found to be true, there will be rewards but most of all salvation - 1 Cor 3:10-15
At the revelation/second coming - apokalupsei -returns to reward His own. Christ spoke of the eagerness with which the steward waited,
“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.
Now none of these passages indicate that believers must wait until their Lord’s return to know from within that their faith is genuine. There will be those know and hear the voice of the bridegroom and will rejoice now and wait until that that time when He calls them home or returns for them.
This quiet peace and confidence, if we can use that word, if not about them but confidence in the Lord. They have taken Him at His word believing He keeps His word.
Peter reminds them here of depth of their loving, believing relationship.
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him.
Though you do not NOW see Him, you believe and rejoice.
Some justifiably ask how can someone love someone whom they have not seen, how can someone believe someone whom they have never met?
The was probably best explained by Christ’s explanation of why He came and what the Gospel does. Jesus quoted from Isaiah - Is 61:1-2; 49:8.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
Obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Here, when Peter refers to the outcome of faith, the salvation of souls, Peter is NOT looking at the future. He did not say, will obtain. The verb form of - komizo - is a present middle participle underscoring ongoing action in the present.
As a present middle participle, a more comprehensive translation would be - presently receiving for yourselves. The middle voice in Greek conveys the meaning that the action undertaken by the subject impacts the subject.
In this context, with the participle not being the main verb(s) in the sentence are believe and rejoice. Peter, Paul and all of the NT, including the Gospel account of Jesus’ teaching repeated explain that NT faith/believing is life transforming. And in that sense the one who is converted continues to love the Lord and rejoice in Him, even in the midst of various trials.
1 Peter: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Confidence in a Present Deliverance
There is really no reason for believers to lose their joy when they can tap into all the present and future spiritual realities mentioned in this passage—present proven faith, fellowship with Christ, and deliverance; and a protected future inheritance and promised honor. As Jesus assured the apostles, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” (John 15:11).
2. Search and inquire for the promised salvation - 1 Peter 1:10-12
When we understand its full, true meaning, there are few words more comforting and more assuring than salvation, especially when we apply it in the context to which Peter would focus our attention and hearts, the salvation of our souls.
This salvation, to which Peter refers, must be understood not only in the context of 1 Peter 1:5-9, but in fuller context of the rest of the word of God.
Even though man could not save himself in his sinful fallen condition,
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God did and will save all who repent, believe what God has said, believe in Jesus, believe God’s word.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God does not hide His salvation offer, but has commanded those who have believes to tell others.
who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
When we do not understand everything about salvation, we are in good company. Like the prophets we should:
Prophets prophesied
The role of the prophets was 2 fold:
Proclaim the word of the Lord. That included the implications of obeying or not obeying the word. Inherent in the message was assumed obedience. Who taking the long view of things would not obey.
Proclaim/prophecy what God was going to do, promising to do in the future - Messiah, New Covenant.
- At its core the Gospel, the good news of great joy, which was for all people, was that what God had promised was now being fulfilled. Matthew in his account of the Gospel was very careful to remind his readers that again and again certain things happened as promised, as prophesied by the prophets.
Search and inquire carefully about:
Searched & inquired - searching KJV - searched intently with greatest care NIV -made careful searches and inquiries NASB
Both verbs in the Greek, begin with a prefix meaning out, indicating intensity and diligence.
Having used 2 more or less synonymous verbs, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter underscored the drive in the hearts of the prophets to understand what the Lord had revealed to them. The second verb that the ESV and NASB translators translate as “inquire carefully” because or the “out” -ek - prefix, translate the second use of that same second verb as inquire. So in essence, Peter was saying that the prophets searched out and inquired out “diligently” that which they inquired. The inference is that while they reread what God had communicated through them, there were some truths. some emphases like salvation that they studied with a concentrated focus.
Grace to be ours
From the prophets’ and Peter’s perspective, salvation was about grace, God’s grace. We need to underscore that. Having reminded scattered believers of their salvation, Peter urged them not to become bogged dogged with every precious detail. Instead, he reminded them that every aspect salvation testified of God’s grace.
Grace - DEFINITION - TGC
“Saving grace is the free and unmerited operation of God’s person and presence that initiates the spiritual life of God’s people.
SUMMARY
SUMMARY
God’s saving grace is the unmerited favor of God that reconciles sinners through Jesus Christ. This is not the same as mercy; grace is God’s goodness toward sinners, while mercy is God’s goodness toward sufferers. This grace is sovereign; God gives new spiritual life to whomever he will. This grace is unconditional; God’s saving grace cannot be earned. God’s saving grace is the foundation for God’s gracious gifts and empowerment of the Christian life, nourishing and sustaining us. Finally, this grace is fundamentally the presence of God in covenant with his people.”
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
God is and always has been gracious.
And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
Christ - person and time - suffering and subsequent glories
Whom they were serving
Not them but those who would see Christ, who would hear the Gospel & believe, those who not see Christ and yet believed
The Gospel is not just about us.
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,
“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the Lord.
And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.
“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.
Good news preached by the Holy Spirit
Those who preached to you, preached by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.
Of the ministries attributed to the Holy Spirit - comforter,
Peter must have also recognized that preaching the Gospel, was more than words, speaking and hearing. The Holy Spirit guided the preacher and opened the ears and heart of the hearers.
NT believers understood that as well.
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Things into which the angels long to look
Long - strong, overpowering desire that is not easily satisfied
Look - parakupsai - stretch one’s head forward or bend down and sometimes sideways - cc stooping and looking into the tomb - Jn 20:5
Although angels announced Christ’s birth and ministered to Him during his time in the wilderness, and although some where there at the resurrection and ascension, and though they now minister to believers, and though they cannot be redeemed, in one of their present rolls of exalting the Lamb who was slain, it seems only fitting that the angels would also long to better understand the wonder of the grace of God involved in salvation. Angels are not omniscient and therefore need to learn.
And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
Like those to whom Peter wrote, we too do well to look beyond present trials by:
Rejoicing that God has allowed us temporary trials to affirm the genuineness of our faith/salvation.
COVID
Aging congregation that lacks then next generation.
Resource equity - How will we use it
As good stewards we have been entrusted with more than enough to care for our ministry needs but also to invest in the another generation.
THEREFORE, we rejoice
2. Searching the Scriptures and inquiring diligenty carefully concerning, Christ, salvation and the good news.
We also should search the Scriptures not only to understand salvation/sanctification and to affirm what we are doing but to find better and perhaps new ways of serving.
Jerusalem/ Antioch
Barnabas & Paul
Antioch commissioned Paul and Barnabas
THEY LOOKED FOR EVIDENCES OF GOD’S GRACE IN SALVATION AND HOW TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS.
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.
It is wonderful to save a life, and even more wonderful to save someone’s life twice, especially when the one saved was such an influential person as Winston Churchill. But the hard-working, selfless contributions of Alexander Fleming are nothing compared to the greatness of saving people’s eternal souls. That great salvation is the heart of the apostle Peter’s concern in this passage. He wanted his believing audience to focus on that full, final rescue from sin, Satan, death, and hell that God so graciously chose to give them through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Peter celebrates salvation’s greatness by reminding his readers that no matter how difficult the circumstances or how severe the persecution, they can confidently hold to the hope of eternal salvation.