Series: Saved, Settled, and Sanctified
The Hope of the Gospel
1 Peter 1:9-12
As we continue our study in regard to the benefits of salvation, the passage before us is actually a continuation of the previous verses. In fact, verses 3-12 deal with a central theme: the lively hope we have through salvation in Christ our Lord. It is impossible to fully grasp all that we receive in Christ through salvation, but I hope our study will provide comfort and assurance for those who belong to Christ. I am convinced the Lord desires each believer to be settled in their faith while growing in the faith and living abundantly for Him.
Some may consider these messages elementary, but they are focused on the great theme of the Bible: salvation. "It is contained in the history books, chorused in the poetic books, and contemplated in the prophetic books. It is crystallized in the Gospels, confessed in the Acts, clarified in the Epistles, and consummated in the Apocalypse.(i)" The message of the Gospel, resulting in salvation remains the greatest message ever told. It provides forgiveness of sin, reconciliation to God, and eternal life. Simply stated, there is no other message that bears the weight of the Gospel. It is a message of life, hope, assurance, and faith. While life brings many circumstances that are unpleasant and difficult to bear, the Gospel offers abundant hope in the midst of a troubled world.
Let’s take a few moments to examine the certainties revealed in our text as we consider: The Hope of the Gospel.
I. The Measure of Salvation (9) – Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Here Peter makes a profound statement which holds eternal truth. As we consider the salvation revealed in the Gospel, we discover:
A. The Approach (9a) – Receiving the end of your faith…Peter speaks of the end of their faith. He reminds all who hear these words of the importance of faith in salvation. It is impossible to receive apart from faith. One must embrace the finished work of Christ on the cross for the remission of sin by faith in order to be saved. It isn’t obtained through works of the flesh or endurance in adversity. It isn’t received through inheritance or purchased with money. Salvation is by faith in Christ alone.
It seems as if I have been led to preach passages that deal with this fundamental truth a lot lately, but it cannot be overemphasized. If you are depending on anything other than faith in the finished work of Christ to secure your salvation, you are depending on a false gospel. We must all come to the place where we realize our need for salvation and our inability to obtain that through any measure of human effort. We must confess our sin and need for a Savior while embracing the redemption Christ secured for us by faith. There is no other way of salvation and eternal life!
B. The Abundance (9) – Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Peter also deals with the abundance received through faith in Christ, the salvation of our souls. Faith in Christ is not of little value or consequence. Those who fully embrace the work of Christ, believing solely upon Him by faith for redemption, receive the greatest gift ever given: salvation of the soul. It cannot be overemphasized or expressed. If you possess nothing in this life but salvation in Christ, you have received abundance beyond measure! Most of what we obtain and possess in this life will wear out and decay, or be left for someone else to enjoy when we die. Salvation is eternal; it secures life beyond the grave and will guarantee entrance to heaven.
We find this abundance stands as the end of faith. That doesn’t mean that faith ceases when salvation is obtained. It speaks of our salvation being the culmination, the grand result of our faith. While we live here on earth, in Christ, faith remains, and we continually enjoy its benefit! I rejoice that faith doesn’t end in death and salvation provides eternal life in Christ.
C. The Assurance (9) – Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. We must notice an important word in this profound statement. Peter speaks of receiving the end of our faith. This has the idea of “receiving that which was promised.” We certainly didn’t work to earn our salvation and it was clearly undeserved, but we find assurance in its reception. Salvation was secured by Christ the Lord and promised to all who receive Him by faith. He is the source and security in our salvation. We have received it of Him and promised by Him that it will endure. My efforts didn’t earn it, and may effort won’t keep it. I believed by faith in the work of Christ for salvation and I continue to rest in His finished work. It is forever settled in heaven! I am eternally secure in Christ my Lord.
II. The Mystery of Salvation (10-11) – In these verses, Peter addresses the great mystery regarding salvation, particularly among Old Testament saints. Consider:
A. The Inquiry (10a) – Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you. He reminds the believers of his day of the diligent search and inquiry the prophets of old made regarding salvation. These men of old were divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit to write prophesies concerning the coming of Christ and the salvation He would bring. Keep in mind these were mere mortals, recording the Word of God. I am certain they pondered the depth of meaning in regard to particular passages they were inspired to write. They were intrigued by it, and even though they didn’t fully comprehend their own writings, they longed to grasp the eternal truths they held.
This serves a great challenge for us today. Like the prophets of old, there are certain doctrines and aspects of salvation that we will never fully comprehend. Much of it must simply be received by faith and lived through assurance in Christ. However, we too should be students of the Word. We should make it our practice to search the Scriptures daily, seeking to gain a deeper understanding of our faith and the salvation we received. You will never reach the depths of God unsearchable riches and grace. Drink from the deep wells of the Word and find refreshing nourishment for your soul.
B. The Urgency (10) – Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you. Although they never fully grasped the truths of Christ coming, His death, burial, and resurrection, they sensed the great urgency and importance of the message. They understood this was God’s plan for redemption, even though they were unsure how it all would eventually transpire. They were faithful to record the Word given of God and proclaim this Word to all who would listen. They sought to prepare coming generations for the appearance and redemptive work of Christ.
This brought a sense of conviction and urgency to my heart as I pondered these words. The prophets of old never lived to see Christ in their day. They believed by faith in the work yet to come and sensed the need to share the good news. We live on the other side of Calvary and the glorious resurrection. We have the complete revelation of God to mankind. We can’t understand every detail of the end times, but we know Christ will be triumphant. We have the recorded truths of the Gospel. We have received the commission to preach it to the world, making disciples for Jesus. This world needs the lively hope we have in Christ. I pray God will deal with our hearts, individually and corporately, in regard to the great urgency of sharing the Gospel.
C. The Certainty (11a) – Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. They had no way of knowing when the fullness of time would come. They had insight to Christ’s coming, but they could not pinpoint an exact moment. However, there was never any doubt that He would come. In fact, I believe the prophets lived in light of the Lord’s coming. They sought to prepare themselves should His coming happen in their day.
Again there is a parallel for us today. It is very different and yet there are similarities. We now live in the day of grace. We are in the dispensation of the church age: the time between His glorious ascension to the Father and His second coming. We have no way of knowing when that moment will be; but rest assured, Jesus is coming again! He could return this very day, maybe this very moment. The truth is, we just don’t know. The matter of most importance is to be ready should He come today. Church, may we be faithful to share the Gospel. If Jesus were to return today, many would be left behind, eternally separated from the grace and mercy of God.
D. The Glory (11b) – Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. They didn’t have every piece of the puzzle figured out, but they understood the coming sufferings of Christ for the sin of humanity and the glory that would follow. They knew God’s eternal plan for the redemption of humanity would be fulfilled, bringing glory and honor to God through Christ.
We have the benefit of the biblical record. Jesus did come as the Word prophesied. He did suffer in our place, bearing our sin and the righteous judgment of God. He was buried in the tomb, but He rose triumphant in glorious resurrection life. He ascended back to the Father where He intercedes for us today! He will come again in great power and glory, rapturing the church unto Himself, establishing His kingdom on earth, and finally judging Satan, casting him into the lake of fire for eternity. Ours it not a lost cause or a “hope so” situation. We serve the King of glory and He will return triumphantly as the Lion of Judah!
III. The Manifestation of Salvation (12) – Finally Peter addressed the great manifestation of salvation through the preaching and reception of the Gospel. Consider:
A. The Truth Proclaimed (12a) – 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; The prophets proclaimed a message that wasn’t fulfilled in their day. Although their salvation rested in the finished work of Christ just as ours does, they did not live to see that work fulfilled. The truths they shared, along with the message of the apostles, reveal and confirm the truths of the Gospel. The consistent theme of the Bible, salvation, was now being shared with those of Peter’s generation. God had been faithful to His promise, providing for the salvation of mankind, and they had the opportunity to respond by faith and receive this gracious gift.
Isn’t the grace of God and Gospel amazing? We were loved while we were unlovable. Knowing we could never earn or secure our own salvation, God made a way through the sacrifice of His Son. Sin results in death. All are born in sin and all die. We had no hope of life beyond the grave prior to Christ, but His resurrection was the first fruit of many to come! This message is older than time itself, and yet its truth continues to change lives and redeem lost souls!
B. The Treasure Perceived (12b) – which things the angels desire to look into. We end with an interesting thought. The Gospel message and salvation are so wonderful and amazing that the angels themselves desire to look into these great truths. We find their involvement and interaction with humanity throughout Scripture, but salvation is beyond their ability to fully comprehend. Christ didn’t die for angels, He died for fallen humanity. Can you imagine the intense interest and watchful eye of the angels as Christ laid aside the glories of heaven, robed His deity in a body of flesh and came to earth in the form of a man? They must have rejoiced during the ministry of Jesus as He revealed Himself as the Christ. They watched in agony as He bled and died on the cross, ready to come to His aide at a moment’s notice had He called for them. They witnessed the triumphant resurrection and welcomed Jesus back to heaven following the ascension. The angels are intrigued by God’s dealings with humanity and the great lengths He went to in order to secure our salvation!
Aware of their dwelling in the presence of God, one would rightly discern the wisdom angels possess. They continually experience the presence, power, and glory of God. Of all they know and experience, yet the angels desire to look into this glorious salvation. Should that not compel us to do the same? If you are saved, you ought to search the Scriptures in an effort to please the Lord and increase your understanding of the grace we have received. If you are unsaved, having not responded to the Gospel by faith, you ought to do as the angels and look into salvation from the Lord. He has already provided the means of salvation and it is available if you will receive Him by faith.
Conclusion: This has been an interesting study for me. My faith has been strengthened and I have been challenged to share the Gospel with a world in need of salvation. How has the Lord spoken to you today? What has He revealed in your life? If He has spoken, you are aware of that. I encourage you to respond to His voice without delay!
i John Phillips Commentary Series, The - The John Phillips Commentary Series – Exploring the Epistles of Peter: An Expository Commentary. Electronic Version - WORDsearch, Lifeway, Inc.
