Monthly Archive for April, 1997

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1 Peter 1:21

Published on April 20, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

 

who through Him
The word “through” is crucial in this phrase because it describes the means of our salvation. Note some of the many times the Bible describes Jesus as the means of salvation:
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture,” (John 10:9 ).
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,’” (John 14:6).
“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,’” (Romans 3:24).
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God,” (Romans 5:1).
“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him,” (Romans 5:9).
“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them,”(Hebrews 7:25).
Principle:
Jesus is God’s means of salvation.
Application:
We cannot come to God except through Jesus. We cannot pray except through Christ. All good things come through Jesus Christ. He is the way God has arranged our relationship to Himself. We cannot relate to Him except through Jesus.
“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,” (1 Timothy 2:5).
What is your personal relationship to Jesus Christ? Have you come to trust him as God’s way of salvation for you?
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1 Peter 1:20d

Published on April 19, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”

 

but was manifest in these last times for you
“Manifest” means to make clear. God made Jesus very clear to the people of the New Testament. He made the Lord Jesus visible to people of Peter’s generation.
Ransom through Christ was part of God’s eternal plan of salvation (cf. Romans 16:25-26).
“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— 27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen,” (Romans 16:25).
“I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” John the Baptist made Jesus known to Israel, (John 1:31).
“And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil,” (1 John 3:5). The reason God made Jesus evident was to destroy the works of the devil.
“Manifest” is not the opposite of invisible but the opposite of indistinct, therefore, this implies the preexistence of Christ before his incarnation. What God purposed in eternity, He made distinct in time.
“Times” means succession of events. These are the successive periods of human history until Christ came (Galatians 4:4). The “last times” are the times of the New Testament writing.
“He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself,” (Hebrews 9: 26).
“For you” – Peter focuses the whole decree of redemption upon the readers of his generation. He sets them in the cutting edge of the drama of redemption. This would encourage them in their duress.
As with everything in the physical realm, so in the spiritual realm. Before people realize their need, God meets them with provisions for that need.
“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— 27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen” (Romans 16:25).
Principle:
We can take courage that God has a plan for the universe and for us individually.
Application:
God does not act from emotional impulse; He acts from eternity. He always acts rationally. He never exercises arbitrary will. God’s bases His decree on His most wise and holy counsel. He based His plan on His omniscience.
Since He is perfectly holy and incapable of partiality or unfairness, He made His plans according to that which is absolutely right. God saves sinners only if in doing so, He can remain absolutely just (Romans 3:25-26).
Even finite people, who are but creatures, put forward a plan before they act. A person who acts without design or purpose is foolish. Before an architect draws blueprints, he makes his drawings and forms his plans even to minute details. In his brain, the building stands complete in all its parts before anyone puts a spade into the ground.
A general must have a plan or thousands of his men will be killed. Napoleon began the invasion of Russia only after devising a detailed, extensive plan. He showed the lines of march and the timing of their arrival. He planned the equipment and supplies in detail. If he were omniscient, Napoleon would have planned where he wanted to situate every soldier.
If this is true of mere humans, how much more it is true of God! If this is true of God, do you take this into account when trouble comes your way?
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1 Peter 1:20c

Published on April 18, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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"He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”

 

before the foundation of the world
The word “foundation” here implies the creation of the world. The word “world” is our ordered system of existence.
Two verses show God doing things before the creation of the world:
“In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” God promised eternal life before time began, (Titus 1: 2).
“Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,” (2 Timothy 1: 9). God both saved and called us according to his purpose and grace before time began.
Another phrase that does not go back before the creation of the universe is found in Revelation 13: 8, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.” That verse goes back to the foundation of the world but not before it.
God foreordained Jesus before the foundation of the world.
“Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death,” (Acts 2: 23). We often think it was people who put Jesus to death. This verse says that it was God who predetermined Jesus death.
Jesus death was no random act. God the Father gave the humanity of Christ the right to decide when He would die.
“No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father,” (John 10: 18 ).
Theologians speak of the decree(s) of God. Decree means God determines all that will be. God determined the death of Christ before time and space. God more than foreknew that He was going to do this, He determined it.
Ransom in Christ was God’s eternal plan (cf. Romans 16:25-26). God declared that the person and work of Christ have a place in the eternal counsel of God. This eternal counsel existed before the created order. Humanity’s fall did not take God by surprise. Redemption was no afterthought of God.
Principle:
Salvation is no afterthought by God.
Application:
No one ever put God under any pressure to redeem humanity in eternity. Salvation was no emergency measure to correct humanity’s situation after sin occured. God’s purpose of redemption goes back before creation. God’s compassion is as old as His creation. God’s compassion antedates creation. His love is as old as His power.
God planned all eternity at one point. I Peter 1:20 is a key verse to establish divine decree. Events of the world are no surprise to God. Sin was no surprise to God. Sin is clearly in the outworking of God’s purpose (Isaiah 14:24,26,27).
A universe without a plan (decree) would be as irrational as a jet without a pilot. Without an eternal plan, humanity would plunge into an abyss of meaningless trial.
Why did God decree at all? Why did He decree that man should come into existence? Why did he not just restrict his fellowship to the Trinity? We do not know the answer to those questions. Only an infinite God can answer those questions completely. However, there are some things he has revealed that point to the answer.
We know that the decree did not originate in necessity. God did not have to create anything. There was nothing apart from God to influence Him to create. He was the only being in the universe. What He decreed, He decreed freely, voluntarily.
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1 Peter 1:20b

Published on April 17, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”

 

before the foundation of the world
“Foundation” comes from two words: firstly, “cast” and secondly, “down.” It means “laying down, a casting down.” God threw the universe into space by simply speaking a word. God laid down creation as a foundation. It was God who founded the world, not some neutral process.
“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world,” (John 17:24). This is the pre-temporal love of the Father for the son.
“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” God elected believers before the foundations of the world,” (Ephesians 1:4).
The Bible also uses the phrase “the foundation of the world” in the sense of from creation onwards:
“That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world,” (Mathew 13:35).
“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,’” (Matthew 25:34).
“that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,” (Luke 11:50).
“For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
“So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’ although the works were finished from the foundation of the world,” (Hebrews 4:3).
“He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself,” (Hebrews 9:26).
“All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,” (Revelation 13:8).
“The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is,” (Revelation 17:8).
Principle:
God transcends His creation; He is bigger than time and space.
Application:
Our pint-sized brains can neither comprehend God nor His work. If we knew everything we would be as smart as God.
We dare not reject something in the Bible simply because we do not understand it. That is also true in natural, human life. We do not understand electricity but we know it exists. We accept the fact that space vehicles can go to Mars but we may not know the technical reasons for it. We accept it without attempting to understand it. It is the same in the realm of the spiritual. We accept it because God says it and that settles it.
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1 Peter 1:20

Published on April 16, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”

 

Speaking of redemption, Peter goes on to discuss the Redeemer and the redeemed (vv. # 20,21).
He indeed was foreordained
Remember God is not subject to time. There is no “before” and “after” with Him. God does not operate in succession. We use terms like “fore” or “before” because finite creatures can think in no other terms.
The verb “foreordained” means “to know in advance,” to know about something prior to some temporal reference point.
God knows about events before they happen. Before creation, He already knew about His plan to send Jesus to earth to redeem humanity.
“Known to God from eternity are all His works,” (Acts 15: 18 ).
It is possible to understand “foreordained” in the sense of “chosen beforehand.” In this case God chooses or selects the Lord Jesus to come to earth in advance of some other event. The event in this case was creation. Before Genesis 1:1 (creation), God foreordained Jesus as Redeemer. That was before time or space ever existed. That was before Adam ever sinned.
Principle:
God planned our salvation before the fall of humanity.
Application:
God not only foresaw Calvary; He arranged it. Salvation was no afterthought. God did not say, “Oh my, sin entered this world I created. Now I’m going to have to find a plan to save the world.”
Redemption was no emergency measure. God was not in a bind to put a plan in place when things went wrong. Redemption from God’s standpoint is an eternally present fact. It did not take place in time. Calvary was no act of desperation on God’s part. It is an act of God’s eternal design.
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1 Peter 1:19e

Published on April 15, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

 

and without spot
“Without spot” means not to cause a spot or stain upon something — spotless. “Without stain” pertains to being without that which might mar one’s moral character — “morally spotless, pure.” In 1 Peter 1:19, this implies that Jesus is an unblemished offering because He is sinless. Jesus was without blemish and without spot. Jesus was born without sin and committed no act of sin. There was no flaw in the character of the Son of God.
Jesus was the only one who could say, “For I always do those things that please Him.” He was also the only person in the world who could say, “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” (John 8:29, 46). He said that to a crowd he infuriated with raw, unadulterated truth. Had there been anything that they could have thrown in his face, these enraged religionists would have done it right there. Later in John 8 they tried to kill him.
Jesus was sinless, stainless, spotless. He was the only one truly qualified to be the Lamb of God.
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him,” (2 Corinthians 5: 21).
“Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth, “(1 Peter 2:22).
“And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin,” (1 John 3: 5).
Principle:
We rest in Jesus’ perfection before God.
Application:
The enemies of Christ asserted his spotlessness:
Judas: “I have betrayed innocent blood.”
Pilate: “I find no fault in this man.”
Pilate’s wife: “Have nothing to do with this just person.”
Thief: “This man has done nothing amiss.”
Roman centurion: “Surely, this was a righteous person.”
Jesus’ perfection makes our imperfections stand out in hideous contrast. His infallibility sets in contrast to any other person who has ever lived. To use the word infallibility to any other person who has ever lived is unadulterated blasphemy.
Jesus is the only man who ever lived who never had to say, “I’m sorry” or “My mistake.” He never made a mistake. Jesus stands in towering superiority above any other person. He was no mere religious leader. He was God made visible for 33 and one half years on earth.
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1 Peter 1:19d

Published on April 14, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

 

without blemish
“Without blemish” means that which constitutes a defect or blemish either in the physical or moral sense. Numbers 6 uses it for the absence of defects in sacrificial animals (Numbers 6:14; 19:2). Jesus presented himself as an offering without blemish to God, (Hebrews 9:14).
In the Old Testament, when Israelites brought his lambs on the Yom Kippur (the greatest day in the Jewish calendar), they dare not bring a blemished lamb. They would never think of bringing a lamb that they could not sell at the market. They would never think of bringing a lamb that was blind or lame.
Just anything was not good enough for God. The lamb had to be “without blemish or without spot.” God did not want any bruise found upon it. Leviticus 22 contains the qualifications for the lamb:
“Those that are blind or broken or maimed, or have an ulcer or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to the Lord. 23 Either a bull or a lamb that has any limb too long or too short you may offer as a freewill offering, but for a vow it shall not be accepted. 24 You shall not offer to the Lord what is bruised or crushed, or torn or cut; nor shall you make any offering of them in your land. 25 Nor from a foreigner’s hand shall you offer any of these as the bread of your God, because their corruption is in them, and defects are in them. They shall not be accepted on your behalf,” (Leviticus 22:19-24).
Old Testament sacrifices always had to be physically perfect. They could have no scar or limp. God was very particular then and He was very particular later when Christ came as the Lamb of God. God was very particular about the Lamb to come. He demanded a Lamb without defect and without defilement. That is a qualification for payment of sin.
Principle:
Jesus met all of our imperfections with His perfection.
Application:
God’s Lamb ended all altars and sacrifice. Calvary was the last altar. God’s last sacrificial lamb was the Lord Jesus on the cross. We must come to God by that Lamb or we will not come to God at all. There is no other way (Acts 4:12).
Jesus did not die upon the cross as a martyr. He did not die upon the cross to show how brave He was. He died to pay for the sins of the world. He died to pay for your sins.

 

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1 Peter 1:19c

Published on April 13, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

 

as of a lamb
It is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29; Hebrews 9:14). The paschal lamb represents a perfect sacrifice. The lamb symbolizes innocence. When priests sacrifice the lamb, it represents the sacrifice of the innocent for the guilty.
Jesus obviously was not a literal lamb. This is representative analogy. Old Testament sacrifices were representatives of the death of Christ. Blood represents what Jesus did on the cross. All of the sins of the world were poured upon the Lord Jesus on the cross and judged. When He completed His work on the cross, He cried, “It is finished,” (John 19:30). Then He dismissed his spirit and entered into the presence of the Father.
The book of Revelation presents Jesus as the “Lamb” 29 times (5:6; 7:14; 13:8). Revelation is the book of the Lamb.
The word “lamb” in our verse occurs four times in the New Testament, always with reference to Jesus as the innocent lamb who suffers vicariously for others (John 1:29, 36; Acts 8:32; 1 Peter 1:19).
Since Jesus was crucified at the Passover, he was seen as the paschal lamb – “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us,” (1 Corinthians 5:7). At the Passover, priests slew lambs to atone for sins. Jesus is our Passover, a lamb sacrificed for our sin. The paschal lamb’s blood blots out sins by expiation (John 19:36).
John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the expected Messiah. Jesus is the embodiment of all the prophecies of the Old Testament.
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1: 29).
“Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God!’” (John 1: 35).
Principle:
Jesus took away our sins by sacrificing himself in our place.
Application:
Jesus was innocent. He did not have to die. He chose to die because He wanted to forgive our sins. He took our hell that we might have His heaven.
Will you receive His heaven today? Will you accept by faith that Jesus did all of the suffering necessary for your sins. There is nothing that remains to be suffered. He did it all. He takes away the sins of the world. That includes your personal sins. Do you believe it?
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1 Peter 1:19b

Published on April 12, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

 

but with the precious blood of Christ
Note the word “precious.” This word fits the idea of ransom because ransom prices are high. There was great personal cost to the Lord Jesus. He could have stayed in heaven. If so, we would have remained in the slave market forever and spent eternity without Christ. That did not happen. Jesus did die for us. He paid that awful price. Sacrificial death for sin is ridiculed today. To the Christian, there is nothing more valuable, dear or precious.
The word “precious” indicates value. We value His shed blood because it cost Him a great price. “Value” carries the idea of costliness. The value of the shed blood of Christ is incalculable.
Shed blood was a costly act. It cost the humiliation of Christ in becoming a man; it cost the death of His humanity. As in no other Scripture, God reveals the price of redemption. The Old Testament lamb prepared the way. The sacrificial lamb made it a necessity that blood be shed and that the lamb be without spot.
You may say, “Could not God have saved us some other way? Isn’t there some other price that could have paid for our sin?” No! The nature of God demands that He is consistent with Himself.
If God is absolute, then He is absolutely holy. Anyone in His presence must be absolutely holy. For someone to go into God’s presence (go to heaven), he or she must be as holy as God is. But you say, “I can’t be that righteous!” That is true (Romans 3:10,23). In yourself you cannot. In fact, you already have positive demerit; you were born a sinner (Psalm 51:5). Because we were born sinners, then we were destined to become sinners in act. Sin is part of our nature. Therefore, there is no way for humans to save themselves. Salvation must come by another.
The only way for us to be as righteous as God is righteous (Romans 3:24-26) is through soneone who never sinned Himself. Jesus was never a slave to sin. He did not receive Adam’s sinful nature because He was virgin-born. He was not a sinner by nature nor by act. He was the only truly free man. “The wages of sin is death.”
This is a principle God set up in Genesis three. Jesus never sinned so He did not have to die. He chose to die. As the only free man, He bought us out of the slave market of sin with the purchasing power of His blood. Jesus paid for our sins with his blood.
Principle:
Jesus obtained our salvation at great personal cost.
Application:
The cost of our redemption is high – the shed blood of Christ. The commodity of salvation of the soul is so high that neither money, nor religion nor tradition could purchase it. How can Christians squander their life, which cost the death of our Lord Jesus?
By his death on the cross, Jesus opened the door of the slave market of sin. We will stay in the slave market if we do not open the door.
How can you walk through the door? By faith, accept the work Christ did for you on the cross. Just walk through the door believing Christ opened it for you. Jesus paid for every sin you have ever personally committed or ever will commit.
This is why we gather around the Lord’s supper. We remember the Lord’s death; we remember the purpose of His death – He died for our personal sins upon the cross. God instituted a system for nailing in our minds the preciousness of the sacrifice of Christ’s death for our sins. He made possible the escape from judgment to come. This is the clear sound of the gospel.
Do you cherish the death of Christ for your sins? What value is His death to you?
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1 Peter 1:19

Published on April 11, 1997 in 1 Peter. 0 Comments
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“but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

 

Verse 18 is the negative side and verse 19 brings us to the positive side of how Jesus purchased our salvation.
but with the precious blood of Christ
Verse 19 brings us to the culmination of the cost of redemption. The price tag for salvation is blood. How did God make possible our salvation? Not by works or religion but by the sacrifice of the life of Christ. Blood represents death by sacrifice.
Blood is an idea of life, not death. Blood poured out is to shed the energy of human life. Shed blood is sacrificial blood, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul,” (Le 17:11). As “the life of the flesh is in the blood” and was forfeited by sin, life eternal can be imparted only by the redemption made in the giving up of life by the sinless Savior.
The New Testament uses “blood” as death as the result of violence or execution. It carries the idea of a violent death (Ma 27:25). This adds the additional component of sacrifice to physical death (He 9:7). Blood betokens Jesus’ death by the shedding of His blood in redeeming sacrifice.
Note that he says “blood,” not “death.” A death might occur many ways but not necessarily by the shedding of blood. The shedding of blood points to sacrifice, sacrifice for sins.
“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood,” (Acts 20:28).
“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him,” (Romans 5:9).
“And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission,” (Hebrews 9:22).
Remember that Jesus did not bleed to death. Jesus voluntarily gave up His life. He “dismissed His spirit.” His death was spiritual as well as physical. When He bore the sins of the world, He experienced separation from God. At that time God separated from Him because He bore the sins of the world.
Principle:
God gives us life for death.
Application:
The blood of Christ is the price of redemption. The price is sufficient to purchase eternal life. If there was any other purchasing power then Christ died for nothing,
“I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain,” (Galatians 2:21).
At the moment of conversion, God gives us new life (regenerates us). We cannot grow into this life. Birth is an event. Therefore, no one can educate us into birth.
Spiritual birth means we pass from death into eternal life (John 5:24). At that moment we pass from spiritual death to spiritual life. Christians may not be able to pinpoint the exact moment when this happened to them. The main thing is to know that it happened.
The crisis of spiritual birth triggers the beginning of the spiritual life. That process extends from spiritual birth to our death or until Christ comes again. During this period God puts us into a sphere of development (2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Peter 2:2). This development is as fast or slow as we apply ourselves to the Word of God. When we apply divine truth to experience, the Holy Spirit takes the Word of God and makes them real, plain, tangible and useful to us.
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