THE MINISTERED TO US. 1st Peter 1:12 They watched as people died for their faith. They looked beyond the event to others, others who would hear and wonder, needing assurance. And the Holy Ghost moved them to report – to confirm not just the event, the suffering, but the reason these saints were strong in faith. The Gospel that brings the good news of salvation offers a long view of life and can open eyes to the future – to the Throne-Sitter – to the Savior, reminding them and us of the promises.
“When thou passest through the waters… the fire… the floods… I will be with you.” “I will come… and receive you unto Myself…” “Where I am, there will you be also…” And the sufferings they passed through, as they ministered to us of their faith, arouse a stirring of “Like precious faith” that amazes even the watching angels, who wonder at the deep response to grace; And the faith produced by promises made, knowing Him but never having experienced the delivering power of the Gospel – But the blood of the saints – the testimony made – serves us today, and we move into our day – strengthened – to be tested in some way ourselves.
The understanding that the messages from the prophets were given to minister to them would have been a great encouragement to the readers of Peter’s epistle. They were able to understand God’s wonderful salvation in ways neither the prophets nor the angels could. The prophets knew they were not serving themselves. What was a mystery to them was good news to the people of Asia Minor and is to us today.
The “Spirit of Christ” spoke to them through the Old Testament prophets, and now, in this “Day of Grace,” believers in the church can understand the prophecies and the “things” concerning Christ's suffering and glory. We have the blessing and privilege of knowing salvation by grace alone. We have the inspired word of God, which the Spirit of Christ gave to those who didn’t fully understand much of what they wrote. They understood some of the teaching concerning the Suffering Servant (the prophecy of Isaiah), but the glory of His sufferings was not clear until the Gospel was preached. Angels also “stooped down to look into” the blessings and blessedness of our wonderful salvation. We, the redeemed, know what angels can’t comprehend.
It is an important principle to consider when we think of the divine inspiration of the scriptures that God sometimes chooses to reveal things beyond the comprehension of those who wrote the scriptures. The fact that the Gospel is proclaimed by Spirit-filled preachers is a wonder to angels. This whole age of grace in which we live wasn’t revealed to the prophets who were ministering to people who weren’t even born. Even though they experienced the grace of God, it wasn’t until Christ came “full of grace and truth,” and in an act of unfathomable grace, “though He was rich, yet for [our] sake, He became poor, that [we] through His poverty might become rich.”
The whole teaching of salvation by grace alone confounded the prophets of old, and still confounds angels who minister to us who know “the joy that my salvation brings.” Angels are still amazed at the “manifold wisdom of God” that has been shown to us and demonstrated by us.
The Bible’s central theme is the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. The message of His suffering and the glory that follows began in Genesis and is expressed in many ways throughout the books of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms. The Lord Himself used those scriptures to describe His life to two people as they walked the road to Emmaus. The Holy Spirit gave a consistent message to all forty-plus writers of scripture regarding the redemptive narrative. Those who know Christ and are linked to Him by His grace through faith can find encouragement in knowing that their sufferings follow His. What we experience, He already endured. The glory that awaits us is the glory He has gained through His suffering, death, and resurrection.
Angels are mere bystanders when it comes to the suffering experiences believers share with our Lord. Apparently, all the other "families" in the universe look on with fascination as the people of God, who love the Lord and follow the Savior, follow His example and the path He took through suffering and trials that lead them to glory with Him. When the Holy Spirit was sent down from heaven by the Lord Jesus Christ to dwell in His people, power was given through Him to do what was beyond mere human inclination. When the Lord's people understand this and claim the promises given that enable them to endure and triumph over trials, then we can appreciate all that God is doing through us and with us.
THE PILGRIM'S WONDERFUL SALVATION There are several ways in which our salvation is described in 1st Peter that go beyond what is normal. "Abundant mercy" refers to God's forgiveness and kindness toward us when we were in our sins and needed His salvation. The word "abundant" is central to this description of mercy. Mercy is like clemency in a court of law and the consideration shown when one has injured another. Pity, sympathy, leniency, and compassion all help us understand the "abundant mercy" God has shown to us.
Another superlative describes the inheritance we have been given by God's grace. An "incorruptible inheritance" is one that is indissoluble. It does not lose its value for any reason or under any pressure. We have received this inheritance by legal means, so any charge against it will fail. An inheritance is passed on to others by legal succession or by a will that states the giver's will. This has come to us from our heavenly Father.
An "imperishable faith" is related to the trials of life a believer goes through. We usually think of gold as something that would never perish because it is impervious to rust and decay and is a hard enough material to avoid erosion of any kind. The lesson we learn from this superlative is that our trust is in a Person whose permanence is eternal - without beginning or end.
In verses eight and nine, reference is made to "inexpressible joy" that defies definition. Our trust is in one we cannot see, yet we love Him and find our greatest joy in pleasing Him. Our joy comes from within our soul and spirit rather than being limited by our senses. When we know that we are pleasing the eternal God and that is our ambition, our joy is such that it is more than can be described. "Unfathomable grace" is such in its scope that it goes deeper than our deepest need and higher than our most profound expressions of gratitude and imagination. Who can fathom such grace as "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, He became poor, that ye through His poverty might become rich"? He suffered the death of the cross, which is beyond our conception of infinite suffering, to bring us infinite blessing.
Toward the end of chapter one, we are taught about a redemption price that far exceeds all silver and gold in value. How much is the "precious blood of Christ" worth? It is an "inestimable ransom" paid by the only perfect life ever lived on earth. The perfections of the Lord Jesus Christ were evident when He was seen daily by imperfect human beings. He was "without blemish" in His nature and "without spot" in His testimony.
Because of the nature of the salvation God has given us, we have been born again by an "incorruptible seed." This seed cannot be morally corrupted and is impervious to decay. The new life God has given us cannot fade or fail forever. This life enables us to fulfill the command our Gracious Father has given us by making us "a new creation" and giving us a "new nature," to "Be ye holy; for I am holy."