Home thoughts from abroad.wordpress.com

^“9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.      ¹⁰Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, ¹¹ trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.” NIV

Reading through the opening section of 1 Peter (verses 1-12), it becomes obvious, by its repetition, that ‘’salvation’’ is a dominant theme. What also is clear is that ‘’salvation’’ is a process. In today’s verse we read:

‘’…for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.’’ (NB – this is something currently happening, in ‘the now).

A few days ago we read: ‘’…the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time’’ (5b). So there is still a future dimension to this process. We await the final stage, the full picture – the last piece of the puzzle to be fitted in.

In verse 10, Peter refers to ‘’this salvation’’, and from what he goes on to write (11) we find that the death and resurrection of Jesus lie at its heart. Jesus died and rose again to save lost, sinful people.

Salvation – God’s work of saving (rescuing) – is a process. A believer can say:

• ‘I have been saved’ (from the penalty of sin. This happened instantaneously at conversion);
• ‘I am being saved’ (every moment, from the power of sin);
• ‘I will be saved’ (one day, from the very presence of sin)

We live ‘between the times’; we are caught in the tension between the ‘now’ and the ‘not yet’. Each Christian is a work in progress. As someone said, ‘I’m not what I want to be, and I’m not what I’m going to be, but praise God, I’m not what I was!’

A hymn captures this idea in saying, ‘Jesus saves me all the time, Jesus saves me now.’

PRAYER: Lord, it fills me with joy and wonder to remember the time I was saved. What a day that was, when I repented of my sins and put my faith in you. But I confess I need your saving power today, and how grateful I am to have it. There is so much in my that still need to change. I mourn and grieve over my all too many faults. By your power, Lord Jesus, please save me from them all. I look forward to that day when seeing you I shall be like you. What a day that will be!

^“9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” NIV

Reading through the opening section of 1 Peter (verses 1-12), it becomes obvious, by its repetition, that ‘’salvation’’ is a dominant theme. What also is clear is that ‘’salvation’’ is a process. In today’s verse we read:

‘’…for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.’’ (NB – this is something currently happening, in ‘the now).

A few days ago we read: ‘’…the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time’’ (5b). So there is still a future dimension to this process. We await the final stage, the full picture – the last piece of the puzzle to be fitted in.

In verse 10, Peter refers to ‘’this salvation’’, and from what he goes on to write (11) we find that the death and resurrection of Jesus lie at its heart. Jesus died and rose again to save lost, sinful people.

Salvation – God’s work of saving (rescuing) – is a process. A believer can say:

• ‘I have been saved’ (from the penalty of sin. This happened instantaneously at conversion);
• ‘I am being saved’ (every moment, from the power of sin);
• ‘I will be saved’ (one day, from the very presence of sin)

We live ‘between the times’; we are caught in the tension between the ‘now’ and the ‘not yet’. Each Christian is a work in progress. As someone said, ‘I’m not what I want to be, and I’m not what I’m going to be, but praise God, I’m not what I was!’

A hymn captures this idea in saying, ‘Jesus saves me all the time, Jesus saves me now.’

PRAYER: Lord, it fills me with joy and wonder to remember the time I was saved. What a day that was, when I repented of my sins and put my faith in you. But I confess I need your saving power today, and how grateful I am to have it. There is so much in me that still need to change. I mourn and grieve over my all too many faults. By your power, Lord Jesus, please save me from them all. I look forward to that day when seeing you I shall be like you. What a day that will be!

^“8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,” NIV

His name was Peter, and for a time he was the youth leader in a church I attended in my teen years. But prior to that I looked up to him as older member of the youth group, and valued him as a friend. Peter was a rugged, craggy individual. As I recall, prior to his conversion he had drunk deeply from the murky well of sin. He’d had his fill and found it unsatisfactory. But Peter was very much a man’s man. One night, a few of us were out ‘witnessing’ on the streets of Wigan, trying to engage people in conversation about Christ. This was something we often did. On this particular evening, I distinctly remember Peter saying to a group of people we were chatting with, ‘I love Jesus.’ There is something powerful, even now, about the memory of this strong man wearing his his heart so unashamedly on his sleeve.

The Peter who wrote this letter was also very much a ‘heart on the sleeve’ kind of guy. Here he writes about the love a believer has for the invisible Jesus – and the overwhelming joy which accompanies such faith.

I feel very much for those who are having to face the current situation alone. But remember, ‘’The Lord is near’’ (Philippians 4:5b). He loves you, and because He loved you first, you love Him. Today, this is cause for thankfulness, whatever else may appear difficult. You are deeply loved, and you love in return

PRAYER: Thank you Lord that Christianity is not a religion, but a most precious love relationship. I am grateful that, by your grace, I can say, ‘I love you Lord’, and mean it with all my heart. Thank you that I don’t have to see you to know you are real, and that you are with me.Thank you indeed that I do ‘see’ you by faith. You have made me certain of you. Thank you again.