Pastor Chris’ Corona Quarantine Epistles to the Flock of AIC Ngong Road, in Dispersion and Isolation. 111th. Edition.
Dear Soldiers of the Lord’s Army,
Today’s passage (1 Peter 1:3-5) recalls our salvation and becomes the basis of everything Peter instructs in the rest of his letter. A personal relationship with Christ is everything, friends. Without it, we would be going through religious motions that only give false hope. But things are totally different for us who know Christ as savior.
Rebirth (v. 3). Peter Blesses God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who in the abundance of his mercy has Begotten us again. The spiritual birth is a second birth and one that is necessary for eternal hope. This rebirth and subsequent hope are only possible because of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. The whole gospel hinges on the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) because the hope of our resurrection is in the resurrection of Christ. But even the very forgiveness of sins is dependent on Christ having risen from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:17). The resurrection of Christ is not just another tale, it is at the core of our faith.
Reservation (v. 4). God has reserved an inheritance for us in heaven. This inheritance is secure because it cannot decay, spoil or tarnish. This is part of the reason gold is used to depict heaven because it does not tarnish. We’ve all heard of people who invested in ventures that collapsed, bought the property only for the title to be shown fake, or put money in a bank that went bankrupt. Anyone who has been the victim of a failed investment better appreciates the words of Jesus, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19).
This is not to say that we should not own anything on earth. Material wealth comes from God “who gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17), so there is nothing wrong with wealth when it is acquired fairly. But those who place more emphasis on the things of this world, including wealth, are setting themselves up for pain and disappointment. Heed the words of Jesus, “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20).
Revelation (v. 6). Salvation is in a sense a very simple concept – we were in danger of damnation, Jesus saved us from it. But in another sense, it is complex. Here, Peter says that our salvation will be “revealed in the last time.” There is the concept of salvation that we saw earlier, that there are three stages of salvation:
1. Justification, in which we are saved from the penalty of sin;
2. Sanctification, in which we are saved from the power of sin and
3. Glorification, in which we will be saved from the presence of sin. This third one is what Peter is thinking of here. He hints that it is something to look forward to and with the word, reveal is the idea that we don’t know what it will entail, in full.
This is important to a persecuted people because it is saying that our reward is something worth suffering for. Peter will talk more about this later, but it is important to note that our hope is the reason we should not cave in under a trial.
Are you suffering for your faith? “Freedom is coming tomorrow!”
Your Loving Pastor Chris.