1 Peter Study #2

“So Great a Salvation”

1 Peter 1:10-16

Study #2 in 1 Peter Series

INTRODUCTION:

God has a plan for the ages. The Bible reveals the grand scale of that plan. In Isaiah 46:9-10, God declares, “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’” In eternity past, before the world was formed, God already knew all about the catastrophe that would occur in Eden and what He was going to do about it. It came as no surprise to Him. This all-wise, all-knowing, and all-powerful God had a comprehensive plan for the world that He created, and He had the ability to carry out those plans, allowing nothing to get in His way.

God’s created world included humans, created in the likeness and image of God Himself, people to whom God gave a freewill to choose to obey Him or to rebel. We all know what happened. Man sinned, and thus death passed upon all men. Since the Fall in the garden every son of Adam and every daughter of Eve has been conceived in sin and has chosen to sin against God. As a result, all have fallen short of the glory of God and are condemned by their nature and by their actions. This is the grim reality. All of us stand condemned before God.

TRANSITION:

However, this is not the end of the story, because even before the foundation of the world God in His great love and mercy devised a plan to redeem sinners. This plan of salvation is the greatest story ever told, and it is all true. It involves God’s promises, made to His people, through His prophets, over many centuries. It is explained piece by piece, bit by bit, through the pages of God’s written Word, the Holy Scriptures. In the fulness of time it all culminated in a great dénouement (resolution, grand finale) with the birth of God’s own Son, Jesus, who came from Heaven to earth to give His life as a ransom for sinners, so that “whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Those of us who have been saved marvel every day at the grace and mercy of God, that He should choose to save us. And we marvel too that so many people, even after hearing a clear presentation of the Gospel message, can turn and walk away, rejecting God’s gracious offer of salvation. In Hebrews 2:3 the writer poses a troubling question, “How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” Indeed. In our study of 1 Peter, we are being invited to contemplate God’s magnificent plan of salvation.    

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 10: As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,  

• “As to this salvation…” – From the outset of this letter Peter has been explaining the riches of our salvation in Christ. He laid it all out clearly and beautifully in verses 2-9, leaving us speechless to know how to express the joy we feel in being called “children of God” and knowing the glorious inheritance that awaits us.
• “…the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,” – Peter, like Paul and the other New Testament writers, wanted his readers to know that he was not just making this stuff up as he went along. He was not inventing new ideas and pulling things out of his head. God established His plans of how and when to redeem fallen sinners before the first sin was even committed. What Peter is teaching in this letter about the grace of God and about God’s marvelous plan of salvation is rooted and grounded in the writings and the preaching of the Old Testament prophets that God raised up centuries before.
• “…made careful searches and inquiries” – Of whom did the prophets inquire? The first inkling of God’s redemption plan is seen in Genesis 3:15 – “I will put enmity between you [i.e., the serpent] and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.” This is known as the “protoevangélium”—the first Gospel message. The verse introduces two elements previously unknown in the Garden of Eden, elements that are the basis of Christianity: (1) the curse on mankind because of Adam’s sin and (2) God’s provision for a Savior from sin who would take the curse upon Himself. Of course, some of the early prophets had little in the way of written Scriptures upon which to draw, so their inquiries were to the Lord Himself. The Holy Spirit was their Teacher and the Revealer of things to come.   

Verse 11: …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.

• “…seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating” – I believe Peter here is referring to people like Isaiah, who God used to reveal many things about the Messiah who would one day appear on the scene to be the Savior of His people. But did Isaiah really understand what he was writing? As he wrote chapter 53, did he know who the suffering Servant would be? No! Even though God used him to record the whole story of Jesus on the cross did Isaiah truly understand what the fulfillment of his words would look like? I don’t think so. By the way, Peter here refers to the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of Christ” because Christ sent Him.
• “…as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.” – I am certain that the prophets longed to know this One that they wrote about. He was the promised Messiah of Israel, but they did not know the details of how the story would play out. They must have been curious.

Verse 12: 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.

·       “It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things…” – Peter says that the prophets had a sense from the Lord that the prophecies they were making were not for them and their time, but in most cases would not be fulfilled until a time still far off in the future. Daniel is a good example of this. Daniel did not understand most of the prophecies he was directed to observe and record, and God did not expect him to understand (cf. Daniel 12:8-9, and 8:27) because those events would not come to pass until a very distant future. In fact, many of Daniel’s prophecies are yet to be fulfilled.  

·       “…in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the Gospel to you…” – After Pentecost the Christians scattered all over the inhabited world. They went out sharing the Gospel message, and leading others to faith in Jesus. Here Peter is reminding his readers that each of them heard the Gospel from someone. They believed it, and their lives were transformed. But it is important to remember that the Gospel is not just a New Testament message. The Good News of God’s love, and grace, and mercy runs like a scarlet thread throughout the whole Old Testament. God, by His Spirit, through the prophets and biblical writers, shared the Gospel in a hundred different ways over many years.

·       “…by the Holy Spirit sent from Heaven” – The Holy Spirit has always been active in the world, carrying out the plans and purposes of the Father. He has always been the agent of salvation. Even in the Old Testament the Spirit was compelling and convincing men to put their faith in Yahweh, the God of Israel. But after Jesus ascended the Holy Spirit began to operate differently in the world. Jesus explained all this in John 14-16:

§  John 14:16-17 – “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.”

§  John 14:26 – “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

§  John 15:26 – “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me.”

§  John 16:7-8 – “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”

§  John 16:13-15 – “But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. ¹⁵ All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore, I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.”

·       “…things into which angels long to look.” – What an intriguing statement! Angels in the Scriptures are several times referred to as “the sons of God” which tells me that God loves them and truly cares about them. They, like humans, are created beings that are beloved by God and were created to serve Him. However, Psalm 8 reveals that humans, not angels, are the crowning glory of God’s creation. Angels are stronger than humans. They are perhaps even smarter than humans. But Jesus did not leave Heaven and come to earth to die for angels. He came to give His life for us. We are the ones the Bible says were created in the image and likeness of God, not the angels. The writer of Hebrews in 1:14, speaking of the relationship between angels and humans says, “Are they [i.e., angels] not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” There is no indication in Scripture of any plan of redemption for fallen angels. According to Peter the angels of Heaven are fascinated that God would put so much effort into saving worthless sinners like us. This is further supported by Jesus’ words in Luke 15:7, 10 about how the angels in Heaven rejoice over every sinner that repents. They are evidently aware of what is going on down here.     

 

Verse 13: Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

·       “Therefore, prepare your minds for action” – KJV says, “Gird up the loins of your mind” which is a bit obscure to modern readers. Peter here is challenging his readers to think clearly about the world around them. The idea is to prepare for action, much like the phrase “rolling up your sleeves.” Christians need to be attentive to what is happening in the world. We should be wise and astute.

·       “…keep sober in spirit” – Believers need to be serious about serious things. We need to be mentally and spiritually self-disciplined, self-controlled.

·       “…fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” – Hope is not just a free-floating positive attitude about a rosy future. We are not called to be Pollyannas, just going around thinking happy thoughts. Any Christian who reads his Bible knows this story is not going to end well, at least not until Jesus comes back to bring about a major do-over. Our hope is in the Lord, the Creator of Heaven and earth, the One who is Faithful and True, who is strong to save and worthy of all our praise and trust. Our hope is to be laser-focused on Christ and the grace that will be revealed when He returns in power and glory.    

Verse 14: As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 

• “As obedient children” – Children who love their parents want to please them. They want to make them happy and proud. This is only natural. They also want to obey them because this is a way to show love and honor. As children of God, we should walk in obedience to our loving Heavenly Father.
• “…do not be conformed” – This phrase reminds me of Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” J.B. Phillips in his New Testament paraphrase renders Romans 12:2 as, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within.” I like that. Similarly, Phillips translates 1 Peter 1:14 as, “Live as obedient children before God. Don’t let your character be molded by the desires of your ignorant days.”
• “…to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,” – Peter is reminding his readers that they all had a past, a former life in which they walked in spiritual darkness, in ignorance of the grace of God, dead in trespasses and sins. In those days their lives were ruled by their carnal, sinful, selfish desires. They all “walked” according to the course of this world, obeying the “god” of this world, consumed by its lusts. Peter is reminding the believers that they are not those people anymore, but they have been made new by the saving power of God. They are now new creatures in Christ and should walk accordingly. They cannot plead ignorance anymore because now they know the truth.    

Verse 15: … but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;  

·       “…but like the Holy One who called you” – If you are a believer today, if you are a born-again Christ-follower it is because God has called you to Himself. He came after you. He pursued you until He caught you. You did not run after Him. He chased you down like the Hound of Heaven. His Holy Spirit worked on your heart and mind and placed people and circumstances in your path that eventually brought you to faith in Christ. He is the Holy One who called you.

·       “…be holy yourselves also in all your behavior” – As He is holy in His Person and in all His ways, He calls us to live holy lives as well, with attitude and behavior that reflects and honors Him. Of course, this is not a “bootstraps” kind of thing where I grit my teeth and try with all my might to be a good boy and stop sinning. No, this Holy One who called us also gives us the tools and the power to walk in newness of life. He has given us everything we need for life and godliness. Peter himself affirms this in 2 Peter 1:3, “Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the full knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”

Verse 16: …because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

·       God has always expected His children to walk in holiness as a testimony to the rest of the world. But what is “holiness”? What does it mean to be “holy”? The Old Testament word for “holy” is קָדוֹשׁ (kaw-dōshe). It means pure, clean, free from the defilement of crimes, idolatry, and other unclean and profane things. It means sacred and set apart for God’s use. The corresponding word in the New Testament is ἅγιος (hagios), which means the same thing. Whichever language you choose the truth is the same; namely that God wants us to live as set apart people, different from the rest of the world. Peter expresses this beautifully in the next chapter in 2:9, “But you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” BOOM! There it is!

·       “…because it is written” – Which OT text is Peter quoting? There are several possibilities because this truth is repeated multiple times in Scripture.

§  Leviticus 11:44-45, “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. ⁴⁵ For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus, you shall be holy, for I am holy.”

§  Leviticus 19:1-2, “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ² ‘Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.’”

§  Leviticus 20:7, “You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.”

CONCLUSION:

So, what then shall we do with these truths? How will we live in light of what we have learned? What will we do differently? What are some practical steps we can take to put these truths into practice in our daily Christian lives? Does this passage change how you see God or yourself?