Taking Salvation For Granted
I Peter 1:10-12
Most of us take things for granted. As much as kids hate it when we say things like this…let’s think back: Do we realize that there was a time BEFORE air-conditioning and automatic transmissions in cars; self-defrosting freezers in refrigerators; credit cards; hot water in your faucet; interstate highways…etc.
Believe it or not…there was a time when we didn’t have remote controls for our television sets!
The same is true in the Spiritual Realm. I think we take our salvation for granted. Many of us have forgotten what it was like before we found salvation.
In Christ, You have it so good. You are accepted, saved, indwelt by His Spirit, forgiven, made new…and we have a great future waiting for us in heaven.
In vs. 6-9 Peter is trying to get the Christians to rejoice in their salvation. Even though their faith is being tested, He wants them to understand the great privilege they have of being saved. So he spends a few verses chiding them—poking at them—because he thinks they aren’t understanding what they’ve got in their salvation.
By studying this passage, Peter also wants to ask us, “Do you realize how good you have it?”
I. Salvation is the Subject of Prophetic Investigation. Vs. 10,11
Matthew 13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
A. They wrote about grace—vs. 10 – but they were told it wasn’t for them. They were still living under the law system. Grace wasn’t for them. They still had to hear about sacrifices and feast days and offerings and obeying God’s commandments. We get to hear about and KNOW grace. Vs. 13 says fix your hope on the grace that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. But those prophets didn’t get to know that grace. But when Paul wrote II Corinthians, he said, “Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation.” The prophets didn’t get to know a time of grace, but we do.
B. Vs. 11 says that as these prophets wrote, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, they wrote about a Savior who would suffer and die for their sins. The second half of the book of Isaiah is about the suffering savior. Isaiah wrote about it, but didn’t know about it. The prophets were interested in what they were writing about. So they searched—but all they got was the answer: “It’s not for your time…” (vs. 12)
C. They wrote about the glories of a coming kingdom. Daniel is about the coming world kingdoms and the Messiah. Daniel 2:44 says, “In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.” Most of Zechariah is about the coming kingdom. Zechariah 2:10 says, “Sing for joy and be glad, oh daughter of Zion, for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” declares the Lord. Zechariah 8: 3 -- “Thus says the Lord, I will return to Zion and I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem…” They wrote about it, but when they tried to find out more, the Spirit just told them, “It’s not for your time.”
This comes right back to us—II Corinthians 6:2 says “Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation.” When Christ was reading from the book of Isaiah in the synagogue (Luke 4:18-21), he read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind; to set free those who are oppressed and to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” And then he sits down and says, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus said, “All those things that Isaiah prophesied about—now is the day it is happening. I’m here to present the Gospel.” All those things that the Old Testament prophets could only write about are now presented to us in the good news about Jesus Christ and the Cross of Calvary. We’ve got it—not in a mystery, but in reality.
When Jesus walked the earth, even his disciples didn’t understand about the Cross. Acts 1 says that EVEN AFTER THE RESURRECTION, they were still asking questions about the kingdom. Folks, we’ve got not only the Old Testament but the COMPLETE New Testament – we’ve got no excuse for not knowing what God is up to. We’ve got the power of the printing press and hundreds of solid Christian writers to dig into this stuff and explain it in ways that we can understand. We’ve got new modern Bible translations that put the words into words we can understand—in our own language. We’ve got the Holy Spirit living inside us (as John 16 says) to guide us into the truth. The Old Testament prophets (according to I Peter 1:10) had the Holy Spirit guiding them about what to write—but didn’t have the Holy Spirit living in them to teach them the answers. WE DO. We should know what the Cross means. We should know about the coming kingdom. The only excuse we have is that we are too lazy to search the scriptures to find out what it says. Biblically illiterate Christians are an insult to these Old Testament prophets who really wanted to know—but weren’t going to be able to find out.
II. Salvation is the Subject of Apostolic Proclamation.
A. What a privilege we’ve got in this age of grace. We have the Holy Spirit telling preachers what to preach! Vs. 12 says “by the Holy Spirit”. One of the purposes of the Father in sending the Spirit was to fill preachers with the message of Jesus Christ and the Cross of Calvary so that we can hear God’s salvation message.
Pray for your preacher. Ephesians 6:19 Paul says, “Pray that I’ll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time…” (The Message)
People, pray for your preacher. Pray that I speak what God prepares for me. Pray that God gives me not only an understanding of scripture, but the ability to present it clearly and practically. I don’t think you really need to know my opinion about things—but you do need to know what the Spirit tells me to talk about! You don’t need to hear me talk about scripture, you need to hear me open up scripture so the Holy Spirit can take it and embed it into your hearts and minds. Look at I Thessalonians 2:3,4 and 2:13
A preacher ran into one of his delinquent members. “Hey, we haven’t seen you in church lately,” the preacher said. The man answered, “Well, you know how it’s been. The children have been sick, and then it has rained and rained and rained.” The pastor interrupted with, “Well, it’s dry in church.” The man said, “Yeah, that’s another reason we haven’t been there.” Vance Havner said, “Pray that our sermons are electric, so that everyone who comes can go away charged up.” People, pray for your preacher.
And since we are talking this morning about salvation—let’s understand what Peter is saying. You have had the privilege of hearing the message of salvation explained to you. Vs. 12 says they preached “the gospel.” You don’t have to wonder about the details. You don’t have to wonder about the requirements. You don’t have to worry about NEVER hearing that Jesus saves. What a privilege that you have actually heard the good news! Imagine how many people in Peter’s day never got the chance to hear the gospel! Imagine how many people today haven’t heard the gospel message! What a privilege we have to hear the good news—even if we are already saved, isn’t it good to hear that God loved you enough to send his son to die for your sins!?!?!?
III. Salvation is the subject of Angelic Fascination.
Verse 12 “Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”
Angels desire to look into the subject of Salvation. Note in verse 12 …..
“Long” = a strong desire or an overpowering impulse that is not easily satisfied. Not a superficial or incidental curiosity. They don’t have to be reminded to do it. They don’t have to be prodded to do it.
“Look In” is a word that means “to stoop down and examine, to look at intensely.” Angels are fascinated with salvation. They have a passionate desire to understand what they can never experience. They want to know more about it so they can praise God better.
“Things” = plural = the many facets of salvation. There is more to it than just ABC. They look at it and study it and realize how wide and how deep it really is.
But notice what it says: The angels long to look into it, but they don’t get to experience it. Angels don’t need redemption, because they never fell in sin. They can’t know what it feels like to be saved. We get to know salvation and enjoy grace and experience God’s forgiveness. They LONG to be able to see it—but we get bored with it!
The angels are fascinated with it, and we wonder when it is going to get over!
What a great salvation: we have hope; we have a rust-proof inheritance; we have the security of knowing that our salvation is protected by God’s power; we have the refining process to make us pure as gold; we have what vs. 8 calls “joy in expressible and full of glory…” But we take all this for granted and we get casual, complacent and cold.
It is said that when Charles Spurgeon was asked to speak at the grand opening of the new Crystal Palace, London, he went over a few days before to test the acoustic properties of the great building. He sent one of his deacons to the farthest recess of the gallery. They thought they were the only persons in the building. Then slowly and distinctly Spurgeon repeated the scripture:
"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." 1 Timothy 1:15.
No other word was spoken, for the deacon had signaled that he had heard distinctly, and they both hurried away, as they were busy men.
Twenty years passed by, and Mr. Spurgeon received a call to visit a dying man. He dropped his work and hastened to the man's address with the idea in mind that some poor soul was seeking salvation.
But when he got there he was surprised to find a radiant Christian, happy and rejoicing in the Lord. He told the great preacher that he did not want to die without telling him how he had been converted. "Twenty years ago," he said, "I was up in the cupola of the Crystal Palace, finishing a little glazing. Everything else had been completed, and all the other workmen had gone. Suddenly I heard a voice saying, 'This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.'
"I dropped my tools and looked up to heaven, and answered, Yes, 'Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.' (Mark 9:24) Certainly it was the voice of God. No other word was spoken. It was then and there that I gave my life to Him."
No Christian can doubt that God did speak that day to the sinner away up in the lonely cupola--He spoke by the lips of Mr. Spurgeon and pointed a needy soul in this dramatic and unusual way to the Lamb of God who came into the world to save sinners. And He speaks to us today—maybe not in a loud booming voice. Sometimes He jus speaks to your heart. But He still calls people to come to Jesus and find salvation.
