Such a Great Salvation

-

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:10-12 (NIV)

10 Concerning 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.

Devotion:

            Peter here is addressing his original audience and us to help us to remember that the salvation we have been provided in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is a very great gift. He begins to explain that all the people in the Old Testament times sought to know how and when the savior would appear. The Greek verbs for searched and greatest in verse ten both indicate an intense desire to learn about the object of their search. The prophets who did this search sincerely wanted to know when the Messiah would come to visit his people. But, alas, they never were able to determine it despite their earnest efforts to learn about it.

            The prophets learned that they were not only doing this for themselves but for all who would come during and after the time of the Messiah. They learned that the Messiah would suffer greatly and then come into greater glory. Verse twelve tells us what they were able to determine what would happen in the day of the Messiah. But they could not determine the exact time. Just as we in our own time know what will happen when Jesus returns but the day and the hour of his return have been kept from us. As even the angels of heaven do not know the exact date and time.

            We must rejoice in the salvation provided in Jesus Christ. We must not be anxious regarding his return. God is in control and will send his Son when the full number of the saved have been accomplished. While we wait, we must proclaim the gospel message with every last breath we are given. We have benefited from the work of all those who have come before us. Now we must go forward and be a blessing to those who come after us. Let us thank God for the good news we have received and proclaim that good news to our hurting and broken world.

Prayer:

            Holy Father we rejoice in the gospel which you have proclaimed to us through your prophets and preachers. Give us courage to share that message with those we live and work with. May you be glorified through us. May we be faithful to work for your kingdom until you return to rescue us from our toil. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapter seven as an aid to interpreting the events that occurred last Thursday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. On that da
Read more

Father Forgive Them

-
  Scripture: Luke 23:33-34 (ESV) 33  And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34  And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Devotion:             The situation Jesus finds himself in here in today’s scripture is difficult for us to even imagine. A sham trial, no credible accusations of any kind, let alone any deserving of death, and yet here he is. A brilliant Rabbi, a teacher of the people who never led even one person astray from God’s will. This Holy One of God soon to be food for vultures.             This man who had done nothing wrong had no one in all the crowds who would speak up in his defense lest they be next to face the cross. An innocent man hung between two scoundrels. No voice from heaven declaring that this was the man that they were killing was actually the true Son of God. (See Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, John 12:28) No the heaven
Read more

Transgenderism letter

-
  This is a copy of my letter to my senators, representative, and President Biden. January 15, 2024 Dear President Biden, Senators T. Duckworth, R. Durbin, and Representative D. LaHood             I am writing to you because I am concerned about the situation affecting our children and grandchildren, namely transitioning them from one gender to another. This nation must adjust course concerning these “interventions” because they are dangerous, irreversible, and life-changing. Our country should not be permitting these procedures on minor children under any circumstances. We must also make sure that adults who seek this care are given informed consent as to the risks versus benefits of sex reassignment treatments.             There are many drawbacks to gender-affirming care for minors. Besides the loss of any ability to give or receive sexual pleasure and sterility these treatments cause, there are social and psychological effects that we have no way of identifying because these
Read more