Salvation - Part 1 Series

Series: 1 Peter

Sermon: “Salvation – Part 1”

1 Peter 1:1-12

A sermon for September 15, 2024

Pastor John Bright

1 Peter 1 “1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.”

When I start teaching a new book in Bible Study, I like to ask the “newspaper questions” – Who? What? When? Where? Why?

Who wrote 1 Peter? The Apostle Peter is named at the beginning of the letter. The author has seen the suffering of Jesus (2:21-24, 5:1) so that would fit with one of the original apostles. There are also many similarities between the speeches of Peter in the Book of Acts and the content in this letter.

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The Greeting & The Trinity v. 1-2

“1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.”

Peter begins this letter/epistle with a short greeting or salutation. It tells us that Peter is sending the letter and it is going to those Believers in the Early Church in they area they called Asia. Most of that area is in our modern-day country of Turkey. He refers to them both as “pilgrims” and “elect.” So, two points here – they were just like us in that:

1 – This world was not their home – they were just passing through on the way to being with Jesus when He comes back to call His children home. John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

2 – They had been chosen by God to be the Children of God. Ephesians 1:3-5 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,”.

The rest of the opening is a picture of the Trinity. One of the criticisms of our Apostolic tradition is that we use a word that never appears in God’s Word – TRINITY. That word has been used as a shorthand way of referring to the Three Persons of the Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. When Jesus is baptized by John, his cousin, we see all Three Persons of the Trinity in one place at one time – Matthew 3:16-17 “16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”