Sunday, April 25, 2010

Living Hope: Salvation Appreciation

During today’s message, pastor Robin Boisvert preached from 1 Peter 1:10-12 on how Christians are strengthened as we consider our privileged position as recipients of such a great salvation. Titled, “Salvation Appreciation,” the message continued our series called Living.Hope.The First Letter of Peter.

The Prophets Who Prophesied (verses 10-12a)
Who were the prophets? They were men like Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel and
David. They were called by God, brought into His divine council, and invested with the Holy Spirit. They were divine spokesmen who were divinely commissioned ambassadors, sent by God, to speak authoritatively on behalf of God. They prophesied about the grace that we have received through Jesus Christ. But they only understood that grace in part. They were intrigued by what they did know, so they searched and inquired carefully and intently wanting to know what person, what time frame, what circumstances the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating that the Messiah would suffer and be glorified. However, their prophecies were not serving themselves, but Peterʼs original readers and, by extension, us.

The Angels Who Long To Look (verse 12b)
Angels were no strangers to Godʼs plan of salvation. They were there announcing the birth of Jesus; they were there when He rose from the dead and when He ascended into heaven. But because they have never sinned, they will never experience the gift of salvation. However, the holy angels are able to perceive that our great salvation is worthy of their intense interest.

The Object of Their Intense Interest (verse 11b)
What the prophets predicted and into which the angels longed to look were “the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.” The writings of the prophets enlighten us and strengthen us.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? ... For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—I can count all my bones—they gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” (Psalm 22:1, 16-18)

“He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces. He was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that has brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned each one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:3-6)

But now through the Apostles and others, the good news, the gospel of the sufferings and glories of Jesus Christ, has been announced to us. And “because the sufferings and glories of our Redeemer are the main subject of the Gospel, they should be much in our thinking.” (Leighton-Thomas)

Just as the sufferings and glories of Christ are the substance of the gospel message, they also serve as an example for us to follow because trials of various kinds await us. Peter knew that the best way to encourage and strengthen his fellow believers in the midst of trial was to remind them of the gospel and of the glories that followed. But sufferings are not the final word. In Jesus life, his sufferings were followed by the glories of resurrection, glorification, ascension, and his seating at the right hand of the Father, in that position of glory that He had with the Father from all eternity. The same is true for Christians. Our suffering will be followed by the glory of eternal life, of life forever in the presence of our Savior.

“Then [Christian] stood still awhile to look and wonder, for he was very surprised that the sight of the Cross should ease him of his burden…He looked, therefore, and looked again, even until springs in his head sent water flowing down his cheeks.” (Pilgrim’s Progress)