Sunday June 18
Suffering, Jesus, and Salvation
Read the following passages, and note what each reveals about salvation:
1 Pet. 1:2, 1:8, 9,18, 19, 2:22-25, 3:18
1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, [even] the salvation of [your] souls.
1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers;
1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously:
2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
When Peter mentions salvation, it is usually in the context of Jesus’ suffering as a Substitute for sinners. For example, in 1 Peter 2:22-24, when Peter writes about the suffering of Jesus, he is using language that reflects Isaiah 53:5, 6, 9. “[Jesus] bore our sins in His own body” on the cross and “by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Pet. 2:24), reveal the ideas of substitution and sacrifice.
Amen, but even more, it reveals that the religion of Christ ils salvation by the power of grace. It is by beholding the sufferings of our Savior that the heart is purified. When we understand and allow into our hearts the truth, that we are healed by the stripes received by Jesus, it transforms the character and purifies the heart.
In many of the sacrifices described in the Hebrew Bible, sinners brought their offerings to the temple and laid their hands on them. This act symbolically transferred the sin from the sinner to the animal, which then died in the sinner’s place (Lev. 4:29, 30, 33, 34; 14:10-13). The uncleanness of sin that accumulated on the altar was cleansed and removed on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:16-19).
The blood of the sacrifice played an important role in atoning for sin. Christians have been ransomed by the precious blood of Jesus (1 Pet. 1:18, 19). Paul, too, expressed the same idea of substitution: Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21). As 1 Peter 3:18 states, Christ suffered for sins, the righteous (Jesus) for the unrighteous (us).
Like Paul (Rom. 3:21, 22), Peter emphasizes the need for faith. As he says to his readers: “Although you have not seen him, you love him . . . for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Pet. 1:8, 9, NRSV). Salvation is not earned by godly behavior, but it is granted when we believe in what Jesus has done for us and accept Him as our personal Savior. Our assurance is found in Him, not in ourselves. If it were in ourselves, what real assurance would we have?
Yes, this is all true, but where is grace and the power of grace to transform the life? Where is the truth that by His stripes we are "healed", transformed. We are not saved by our character, but the character is changed by His stripes. If we leave this out, then we are in great danger of believing we are saved in sin, not from sin.
Why is Jesus, as your Substitute, the Great Hope of salvation? What comfort can you draw from this wonderful truth?
Jesus intercedes in behalf of all sinners whose probation has not yet closed. He paid the price for our sins. That is He suffered for every sin that we will not have to suffer if we will allow the Holy Spirit to take possession of the heart, if we will die to self and live unto Christ. This intercession will soon cease and there will be no more forgiveness of sin. This is contrary to the teaching of many standing in the pulpits of God's church today. I am not speaking of Babylon, but of God's church. Much of Babylon has long since given up the gospel of grace. Theirs is a false gospel that says one is saved in sin. Sadly, this has come into God's church also. Many today believe one may sin a known sin and retain salvation. This means that one could be saved when self is not dead, and saved when Jesus does not have possession of the heart. In other words, we are saved when we are separated from Jesus. Such a deception!
Are you ready for the close of probation? For many, probation closed yesterday. For many the suffering and death of Christ will not bring salvation. Today we may choose to behold Jesus lifted upon the cross, the bleeding Lamb of God, and by beholding become transformed in character and be fit for heaven (2 Cor. 3:18).