Monday, May 6, 2013

Christ's Coming was Foreknown (1 Peter 1:20-21)



SPIRITUAL DIARY

                                                                                                            Date:  12-15-03

My Worship Time                                          Focus:  Christ’s coming was foreknown

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  1Peter 1:20,21

            Message of the verse:  “20  For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21  who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”  (NASB)  “20  God chose him for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, he was sent to the earth for all to see. And he did this for you.  21  Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And because God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, your faith and hope can be placed confidently in God.”  (NLT)
            Peter continues to address to his readers on the cost of our salvation and tells them that all of this was planned in eternity past, even before Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, but it has now appeared in these last times.  (The last times are from the first coming of Christ to the second coming of Christ.)  It is Jesus Christ who has appeared and it is He who has made possible this salvation.  Peter tells his readers that this was done for you.  In verse 21 Peter goes on to tell his readers that they are believer in God through Jesus Christ, and it is God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead and then He was returned to His rightful seat at the right hand of God who gave Him glory for what He had accomplished.  While upon the earth the glory of Jesus Christ was hidden, but when He took Peter, James, and John up on the mountain His glory was revealed.  When Jesus was praying as recorded in John 17, He prays that the glory He had before He came to earth would be mad manifest when He returned to His Father.  Peter concludes verse 21 by writing about how the believer’s hope should be in God because of this great salvation given to them through Christ, whom had been raised from the dead.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I would like to say that Jesus Christ did not have to come to earth and suffer and die for me or for anyone else, but that it was because of His love for us that He did it.  I know that one of the problems that sin cause in my life is that of being selfish, and wanting things my way, and also thinking that because of being human that I have rights and privileges.  This is not true, for it is only because of God grace, mercy, and love that I have been born-again, and now have a new nature which always wants to do right, but I still have that old nature that never wants to do anything right.

The Word of God did bring refreshment to my heart today as I read it, and it also has brought conviction as I thought about it today.

My Steps of Faith Today:   I want to have a more conscience effort in worshiping the Lord each day.  Trust the Lord to show me more of Himself in the Scriptures so that I will know Him better.  Trust the Lord to bring conviction and salvation to Valerie and her husband Mike. 

Memory verse for the week:  1John 1:9

            9.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  

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