1 Peter 1:6–9 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (ESV)
When it was released 25 years ago this past week, the movie Groundhog Day was considered a romantic comedy. In the movie, Phil Connors (played by a never-better Bill Murray) is an arrogant and narcissistic weatherman for a Pittsburgh TV station who is forced to travel to the small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities. When he tries to leave after the ceremony with his news producer Rita Hanson (Andie MacDowell) and cameraman Larry (Chris Elliott) he gets stuck in the town overnight. When he wakes up the next morning, though, he finds he’s reliving the previous day—Groundhog’s Day. No one else seems to notice, so he assumes he’s merely having a bad dream. But when he wakes up again, he’s stuck living the same February 2. Phil’s trapped in a time loop from which he can’t escape. At first Phil becomes depressed. Then, realizing the possibilities open to him, he stumbles into hedonism. He soon discovers, though, that the “do what thou will” lifestyle is empty and boring. Eventually, Phil finds the most satisfying course of action is to live for others, which eventually enables him to escape the trap that he found himself in. (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/112381/)
Over these past 10 months you may have felt like it has been one long “Groundhog Day”. We can easily forget what day it is, and not be able to break out of an ever-repeating rut of activity. The initial pause of activity may have been refreshing, but soon it most likely has felt the same activity over and over again. Initially we may have just indulged in the new found freedom but the freedom can now feel more like a prison. We can easily then be very uncertain of the future and lack any assemblance of joy.
Peter’s goal 1 Peter 1:6-9 is to have believers understand the joy that should be our own constant expression in light of eternal salvation. To have a confident assurance of Salvation should result in abundant joy. Peter wrote early on the subject of joy and the believer because his readers need the reminder and the encouragement as they faced severe persecution. The clear implication is that though the recipients of this letter were suffering unjustly, they and we should expect such mistreatment and endure it with joy and patience (cf. 2:18–21; 3:9, 14–15, 17; 4:1, 12, 14, 16, 19; 5:10). In light of the blessedness of salvation, no earthly difficulties should diminish joy (cf. Hab. 3:17–18; Matt. 5:11–12; James 1:2).
In 1 Peter 1:6-9 Peter gives five perspectives on joy that should be “The Confidence of the Faithful”. A proper grounding of this joy enables believers to triumph even in the most adverse circumstances. He highlights the reality that joy derives from five things: 1) Confidence in a Protected Inheritance (1 Peter 1:6a), in a 2) Proven Faith (1 Peter 1:6b–7a), in a 3) Promised Honor, in a 4) Personal Fellowship with Christ (1 Peter 1:1:8), and in a 5) Present Deliverance (1 Peter 1:1:9).
Believers can experience present joy because of:
1) Confidence in a Protected Inheritance (1 Peter 1:6a)
1 Peter 1:6a 6 In this you rejoice, (though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials), (ESV)
The reference at the beginning of verse 6 “In this” refers back to the preceding passage (1:3–5), which detailed the first great truth that brings Christians joy, namely their protected eternal inheritance. Because of this great truth believers can and should rejoice (from agalliao) which is an intense, expressive term that means to be supremely and abundantly happy—a happiness that is not tentative nor based on circumstances or superficial feelings. In the New Testament, agalliao always refers to spiritual rather than temporal joy, and it usually has reference to a relationship with God (cf. 1:8; 4:13; Luke 1:47; 10:21; Acts 2:26; 16:34; Rev. 19:7). Furthermore, since Peter put it in the present tense, it conveys the notion of continual joy and happiness. No matter what difficult circumstances and persecutions they face, the faithful greatly rejoice because of the future hope that derives from Christ’s resurrection (1:3; 1 Cor. 15:51–57; cf. Rom. 5:2; 12:12) and the present reality of the indwelling Spirit (1:2), securing a protected, eternal inheritance (cf. Heb. 10:32–36). When they think about their future inheritance, the Christians to whom Peter is writing respond with intense ‘salvation joy’ which continues throughout their earthly lives. He thinks such rejoicing in heavenly realities to be a normal part of the ordinary Christian life. (Grudem, W. A. (1988). 1 Peter: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 17, p. 66). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
Illustration: Rejoice
Herman Lange, a German Christian was to be executed by the Nazis during WWII. In his cell on the night before he was to be killed, Lange wrote a note to his parents. He said two feelings occupied his mind: “I am, first, in a joyous mood, and second filled with great anticipation.” Then he made this beautiful affirmation: “In Christ I have put my faith, and precisely today have faith in Him more firmly than ever.” Finally, he urged his parents to read the New Testament for comfort: “Look where you will, everywhere you will find jubilation over the grace that makes us children of God. What can befall a child of God? Of what should I be afraid? On the contrary, rejoice!” (Michael Green, “Running From Reality” as quoted in Galaxie Software. (2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.)
Believers can experience present joy because of
2) Confidence in a Proven Faith (1 Peter 1:6b–7a)
1 Peter 1:6b–7a 6 (In this you rejoice), though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—(may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ). (ESV)
Peter next turns to a source of joy that has immense practical ramifications for believers—confidence in a proven faith. Rather than allow severe trials and persecutions to steal their joy and spoil their anticipation of future blessing in heaven, genuine believers with a biblical perspective know that such sufferings actually can add to their joy as they experience grace and anticipate the future. In the remainder of verse 6 the apostle lists four concise features of the trouble God uses to prove believers’ faith. First, he declares that their troubles are now for a little while. They are transitory (cf. Ps. 30:5; Isa. 54:7–8; Rom. 8:18), literally “for a season,” which means they will pass quickly, as does one’s time on earth. Paul calls them “momentary, light affliction” (2 Cor. 4:17), relative to the “eternal weight of glory.” Peter assured his readers, however, that God is working out his plan even in their anguish. (Schreiner, T. R. (2003). 1, 2 Peter, Jude (Vol. 37, p. 67). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers..)
• From our perspective it seems like joy is fleeting and pain is permanent. There are varying degrees of difficulties that are resolved in varying degrees of time. No two troubles are the same type or duration. What enables us to transcend them is perspective. When we are in the midst of trouble we tend to lose perspective. A godly friend can help move us along by acknowledging the difficulty, working with us through the difficulty, and moving us forward past the difficulty. This too shall pass can be easier when two pass through it together.
Second, troubles come if necessary; that is, when they serve a purpose in believers’ lives (cf. Job 5:6–7; Acts 14:22; 1 Thess. 3:3). God uses troubles to humble believers (Deut. 8:3; 2 Cor. 12:7–10), wean them away from worldly things and point them toward heaven (John 16:33; Rev. 14:13; cf. Job 19:25–26), teach them to value God’s blessing as opposed to life’s pain (4:13; Rom. 8:17–18), enable them to help others (2 Cor. 1:3–7; Heb. 13:3), chasten them for their sins (1 Cor. 11:30; cf. Job 5:17; Luke 15:16–18; Heb. 12:5–12), and to help strengthen spiritual character (Rom. 5:3; 2 Thess. 1:4–6; James 1:2–4; 5:11). Peter says therefore that Christians will experience grief only as it is necessary in the light of God’s great and infinitely wise purposes for them (Grudem, W. A. (1988). 1 Peter: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 17, p. 67). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
• Just as a lifesaving medical treatment may cause some immediate physical pain, it is both urgent and necessary. Those immature in the faith only focus on the pain and demand an immediate reason for it. Maturity looks beyond the pain to seek faithfulness for a God ordained purpose.
Third, Peter with the term been grieved/distressed acknowledges that trouble undeniably brings pain (cf. Gen. 3:16–19; Pss. 42:7; 66:12; 89:30–32). Grieved/Distressed refers not only to physical pain, but also to mental anguish, including sadness, sorrow, disappointment, and anxiety. By God’s design, trouble needs to be painful in order to refine believers for greater spiritual usefulness (cf. Pss. 34:19; 78:34; 119:71; John 9:1–3; 11:3–4; 2 Cor. 12:10). Grief is the natural response to the difficulties in this fallen world, but faith looks forward to an eternity with God and rejoices (Barton, B. B. (1995). 1 Peter, 2 Peter, Jude (p. 31). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Pub.).
Fourth, the apostle notes in verse 6 that Christians experience various trials; troubles come in many forms (James 1:2). The Greek word rendered various is poikilos, which means “many colored.” Later Peter uses the same word (rendered “manifold” in the NASB and KJV) to describe the diverse grace of God (1 Pt. 4:10). Just as trouble is diverse, God’s sufficient grace for believers is equally diverse. There is no form of trouble that some facet of divine grace cannot supersede (cf. 1 Cor. 10:13). God’s grace is sufficient for every human trial. Peter thus shows simultaneous grief and joy to be normal in the Christian life. Grief arises because of many difficulties encountered in this fallen world, but faith looks to the unseen reality beyond this present brief existence and rejoices (Grudem, W. A. (1988). 1 Peter: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 17, p. 68). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
Those simply stated elements implicitly reiterate why trouble should not diminish believers’ joy, and the first half of verse 7 states the reason explicitly: they rejoice so that the tested genuineness/proof of [their] faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire. This perspective on trouble not only does not diminish joy but actually produces triumphant joy, since the experience validates Christians’ faith. The tested genuineness/proof (dokimion) was used to describe the assaying of metal. The assaying process discovers a metal’s purity and determines its true content and worth after all impurities have been smelted away (Num. 31:22–23; cf. Prov. 17:3; Zech. 13:9). By analogy, God tests the believer’s faith to reveal its genuineness (cf. Job 23:10). (He does this not because He needs to discover who is a true believer, but so that believers will gain joy and confidence in their proven faith [cf. Abraham in Gen. 22:1–19, and the example of the seeds in shallow and thorny soils in Matt. 13:5–7].) The adjectival phrase proof of your faith, more accurately “the tested residue of your faith,” captures the essence of the spiritual assaying process. Although the deliverance of the believer through faith in Christ will produce joy in the end, that joy is nevertheless tasted in this present life. (Jobes, K. H. (2005). 1 Peter (p. 92). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.)
Peter used gold in his analogy because it was the most precious and highly prized of all metals (Ezra 8:27; Job 28:15–16; Ps. 19:10; cf. 2 Kings 23:35; Matt. 2:11), and in ancient times it was the basis for most monetary transactions (cf. Ezek. 27:22; Matt. 10:9). Just as fire separates gold from useless dross, so God uses suffering and trials to separate true faith from superficial profession. But even though gold can be purified when tested by fire, it perishes (cf. James 5:3). However, proven faith is eternal, making it more precious than gold. Therefore, Peter reminds his readers that genuine Christian faith is more valuable than anything the world can offer. (Jobes, K. H. (2005). 1 Peter (p. 95). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.)
• Look back over the last ten months. Has this extended trial driven you more into the word, developing a stronger ministry of care for others and an urgency to evangelize the lost? Or, has it been one long time of just waiting? Trials will upset our normal routine to test if we are driven in faith, or retreating in fear.
Please turn to Acts 5
The apostles, ministering in the aftermath of Pentecost, are excellent examples of those who went through difficult trials and thus became confident in their proven faith. After the Jewish leaders flogged them for continuing to preach the gospel, they did not retreat in fear, wallow in self pity, or rise up in rebellion. Biblical faith renders unto governing authorities what they are do, and unto God, what He is due. Notice the sequence of events and their godly response:
Acts 5:34-42 34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus. (ESV) (cf. 4:13–21; 5:17–29, 40–41).
• At injustice, instead of being a revolutionary, or isolationist, the faithful Apostles obeyed God and rejoiced not only because God deemed them worthy to suffer for righteousness’ sake, but also undoubtedly because of the confidence they gained in passing the test. They had come a long way since the days when Jesus admonished them for their “little faith” (Matt. 8:26; cf. 16:8; 17:20; Luke 8:25; 17:5), when they forsook Him and fled prior to His crucifixion (Mark 14:27, 50–52), and when Peter denied Him three times (Luke 22:54–62).
• Not everything that is illegal in a civic sense is immoral: The Holocaust was legal. Believers who hid the Jews were deemed criminals. Slavery was legal. Believers who freed the slaves were criminals. Segregation was legal. Believers who stood up for equality and justice were criminals. Among many other things, Bill C-6 is about to criminalize Biblical truth. The question for believers in Canada is if truth become illegal, will we still respond like the Apostles here, every day not ceasing to teach and preach that the Christ is Jesus.
Illustration:
One of the most volatile political issues of the twentieth century was the gold standard. Our nation debated whether to back its currency with a commodity of value or to substitute the commodity for paper, which has very little value. Paper was used initially as a receipt for the real value of metals such as silver and gold, but people got so used to simply trading paper that government decided to make it legal tender and not worry about whether it was backed by anything except the power or integrity of the government. That provoked a major crisis in our country in the 1930s. At that time, someone wrote a penetrating satire in an attempt to expose the folly of removing our currency from an objective standard, which, from a biblical standard, meant a debasing of our currency, which God prohibits. In 1939 Hollywood made a movie of this satire, The Wizard of Oz. “Oz” is the abbreviation for the standard quantity of gold—it is measured commercially in terms of ounces. The munchkins, the yellow brick road, and the wicked witch of the East were all part of the satire, but the ultimate point was that when the pilgrims finally reached the wizard, they discovered that his power was all smoke and mirrors behind the shield. (Sproul, R. C. (2011). 1-2 Peter (pp. 36–37). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.).
• When people base their faith on faulty source, when trials come, it vanishes for it was based on nothing. Faith that is tested in difficulties is shown to be a true faith when it holds to the only genuine object of faith: God.
Believers can experience present joy because of:
3) Confidence in a Promised Honor (1 Peter 1:7b)
1 Peter 1:7b7 (so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—) may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (ESV)
The apostle’s discussion of proven faith in the first part of verse 7 actually leads into his main point in the latter half, namely that believers would rejoice in the prospect of a promised honor. True faith will ultimately come through all of life’s troubles and trials and obtain eternal honor from God. Peter’s focus is not on Christians’ honoring God (though they will, cf. Matt. 28:16–17; John 4:23; 9:38; Rev. 4:10–11), but on His commendation of them. God will grant believers praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 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). This same word for revelation (apokalupsis) is used as the title for the last book of the NT, Revelation. It means “to uncover,” “fully disclose,” or “make known.” Here it refers to the Second Coming, a common theme in Peter’s writings (cf. 1:7, 13; 2:12; 4:13; 5:4). (Utley, R. J. D. (2000). The Gospel according to Peter: Mark and I & II Peter (Vol. Volume 2, p. 217). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.)
Please turn to 1 Corinthians 3
Peter also uses the term glory, which, like praise, refers to that which believers receive from God. Glory may relate best to the Christlikeness God will endow every believer with (John 17:22; Rom. 9:23; 1 Cor. 15:42–44; 2 Cor. 3:18; Phil. 3:21; Col. 3:4; 2 Thess. 2:14; 1 John 3:2). Honor likely refers to the rewards God will give to believers because of their service to Him. This threefold tribute (praise and glory and honor) occurs at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Revelation (apokalupsei) refers to the second coming of Christ and particularly focuses on the time when He returns to reward His redeemed people. Suffering can be endured now because of what will happen at that final point of history, the ultimate revelation of the Son. (Mangum, D. (Ed.). (2020). Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (1 Pe 1:3–9). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.)
Paul explains this in more detail in 1 Corinthians 3
1 Corinthians 3:10–15 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (ESV) (cf. 9:25; 2 Cor. 5:10; Col. 3:24; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4; 2 John 8; Rev. 21:7; 22:12)
• What do we want to say to Christ when we see him about what our final days on this earth were all about? Are we going to say that we disengaged from the lost around us and just waited? Or are we going to say that we did everything in our power with every opportunity that we had to bring someone to Jesus? Living for the entertainment of this world will result in nothing. Living to serve Christ, will count forever.
Illustration:
When Jesus Christ is revealed, the gold of our faith will shine to his praise. The whole nature of suffering is changed for the Christian when one realizes that (godly) anguish brings honour to Christ. The Museum of the Desert in the Cevennes mountains of southern France commemorates the sufferings of the Huguenot martyrs. When Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685, Protestant public worship was made a crime. People caught at secret worship services in the fields were sent to the galleys. Chained to a rowing bench, they slaved at the oars until they died. A replica of one of the great galley oars hangs in the museum today. Underneath is a model of a galley. Beside it are inscribed the words of a Reformed Christian galley slave: ‘My chains are the chains of Christ’s love.’ Peter reflects on the love that his readers have for Christ, love that makes them ready to suffer so that their proven faith can be his tribute. (Clowney, E. P. (1988). The message of 1 Peter: the way of the cross (p. 53). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
Believers can experience present joy because of
4) Confidence in a Personal Fellowship with Christ (1 Peter 1:1:8)
1 Peter 1:1:8 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, (ESV)
Love and trust are the two crucial ingredients in any meaningful relationship. In this verse, the apostle exalts those two aspects as essential to believers’ relationship with Christ and vital to the joy that results. He also reflects genuine sadness and personal humility with these words, based on his past, personal experience as one of the Twelve. Excluding Judas Iscariot (Matt. 26:14, 16; Luke 22:47–48), Peter was the one disciple who exhibited the most egregious breach of faith and trust in his Lord. Not long after Peter’s three-time denial of Christ (Luke 22:54–62), Jesus confronted him and three times asked him, “Do you love Me?” (John 21:15–22). In humble fashion he reflected on that time and by implication commended his persecuted readers for their relationship to Christ. Peter, even though he was the leader of the apostles and lived with Jesus for three years, in a crucial time failed to sustain his love and trust in Him. In marked contrast, his readers, though they had not seen Him, maintained a true love for and strong trust in Jesus in the midst of threatening persecution and sufferings. Even amidst suffering believers are to trust in Him. Jesus prayed for those who believe in Him but have never seen Him in John 17:20; 20:29 (Utley, R. J. D. (2000). The Gospel according to Peter: Mark and I & II Peter (Vol. Volume 2, p. 217). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.).
• We may get to this point in our Christian lives and realize that we have not been living faithfully unto the Lord. Peter’s message here is to testify to redemption from failings and encourage those who have failed, to turn from the failure in hope.
Peter praises his hearers for their love. The word love (agapate) is the love of the will, the noblest form of love. The present tense indicates that Peter’s audience constantly loved their Lord, which love defines the essence of being a Christian. Real joy flows from a love for the unseen Master, the One whom believers also obey (cf. John 14:21).
Peter next commends his readers’ faith and trust in Christ. Obviously to believe in Him goes hand in hand with loving Him. The soul that loves Christ cannot help but believe in Him, and the soul that believes cannot help but love. Though Christians do not now see Him, still they believe in Him. Jesus told Thomas, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed” (John 20:29; cf. Heb. 11:1). Faith accepts the revealed, written record of Jesus Christ (the Gospels; 2 Tim. 3:15; cf. 2 Chron. 20:20; Acts 24:14), which portrays Him in all His glory and leads believers to love Him (cf. Heb. 11:6). The more faith can know of Christ, and the more such knowledge possesses the heart, the stronger believers’ love for Him becomes (cf. 2 Cor. 8:7; Gal. 5:6; 1 Tim. 1:5; 1 John 2:5) and the more joy they exhibit (cf. Pss. 5:11; 16:11). Thus, love and trust are the two elements that bind believers to a living fellowship with Jesus Christ. The combination of verb and preposition implies strong personal involvement in the act of believing, and carries a sense of resting oneself in Christ.( Grudem, W. A. (1988). 1 Peter: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 17, pp. 70–71). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
That wondrous relationship caused Peter’s readers to rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory. Inexpressible (aneklaleto) literally means “higher than speech.” Those who live in personal communion with Christ experience a joy so divine that they cannot communicate it; humanly speaking, such joy is beyond the reach of speech and expression. And that joy is also filled with glory (doxazo), meaning “to render highest praise” and from which doxology derives. In their fellowship with the Lord, believers have both a supernatural love (cf. Gal. 5:22; 2 Thess. 3:5; 1 John 4:19) and a transcendant joy (cf. Eccl. 2:26; Pss. 4:7; 21:6; 68:3; 97:11; Jude 24). Suffering and sorrow belong to the present, while vindication and joy, although very near, (focus on) the future. Peter’s (instruction) transcends the limitations of the present, yet he never denies the hard reality of present suffering or calls it something it is not (Michaels, J. R. (1988). 1 Peter (Vol. 49, p. 37). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.)
Illustration: One of the greatest testimonies in history to Christian joy in the midst of suffering was that expressed by slaves in earlier days. They had a subsistent existence. They were sold on the block, husbands separated from wives, mothers separated from children. They were bought and sold and put in chains, and they lived in subhuman conditions. There were Christians among them, and they would sing their faith. The slave would look to heaven, beyond his immediate circumstances, and sing about it. They would sing:” Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home. I looked over Jordan, and what did I see? Coming for to carry me home, A band of angels coming after me, Coming for to carry me home. That is the sentiment about which Peter is telling people in the midst of trial and suffering. (Sproul, R. C. (2011). 1-2 Peter (p. 39). Wheaton, IL: Crossway).
Finally, believers can experience present joy because of
5) Confidence in a Present Deliverance (1 Peter 1:9)
1 Peter 1:9 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (ESV)
Peter is not looking at the future but at the here and now; one could literally render obtaining (komizomenoi), “presently receiving for yourselves.” The root, komizo, means “to receive what is deserved.” Flowing out of believers’ personal fellowship with Christ is the result due them, the present outcome of their faith, namely the salvation of their souls. Salvation refers to believers’ constant, present deliverance from the penalty and power of sin—from its guilt (Rom. 6:18; Eph. 1:7; Col. 2:13–14), condemnation (Rom. 8:1), wrath (Rom. 5:9; 1 Thess. 1:10), ignorance (Rom. 10:3; Gal. 4:8; 1 Tim. 1:13), distress, confusion, hopelessness (1 Cor. 15:17; 1 Peter 1:3), and dominion (Rom. 6:10–12). In NT thought, to say “I have been saved” is incomplete without a present sense of continuing deliverance or disentanglement from the clutches of sin (“I am being saved”) and a future sense of final deliverance at Christ’s revelation (“I will be saved”). (Davids, P. H. (1990). The First Epistle of Peter (p. 60). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
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).
(Format Note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2004). 1 Peter (pp. 39–49). Chicago: Moody Publishers.)
