This Salvation (1 Peter 1:10-12)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12-06-03

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus: This Salvation

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Peter 1:10-12

 

            Message of the verse:  “10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.”  (NASB)  “10 This salvation was something the prophets wanted to know more about. They prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you, even though they had many questions as to what it all could mean.  11 They wondered what the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward. They wondered when and to whom all this would happen.  12 They were told that these things would not happen during their lifetime, but many years later, during yours. And now this Good News has been announced by those who preached to you in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.”  (NLT)

            Peter now looks backwards into the time of the OT, when the prophets of the OT wrote about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the salvation that He would provide through His suffering, and the glories that would follow.  These prophets did not understand what they were writing about, however they did know that the Messiah would come.  Jesus’ apostles did not even understand about this, even when He told them plainly that He had to go to Jerusalem and be sacrificed for the sins of the world.  The reason that they did not understand Him was because the Holy Spirit had not been given to them yet.  In verse 12 Peter tells he readers that the OT prophets knew that they would not see these things in there own life time, but would happen many years from then.  He then goes on to tell them that they had already heard the Good News of Jesus Christ dying for them, and this was given to them by the preaching of a Spirit filled preacher.  He then goes on to talk that the angels were eagerly watching these things happen.  I am sure that this is referring to the good angels who did not leave with the bad angels, but stayed true to God.  There is no redemption for those evil angels, however there is for sinful man, so these good angels have know idea what it is like to go from being a sinful person to one who has been born from above, now having the new nature and the Holy Spirit living in them.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I want to focus in on having the Holy Spirit living within me as a result of the new birth.  There have been many times in my life when I was reading the stories in the OT and thought that some of these people had things better that the NT believers had it.  This is not necessarily true, and in most cases is not true at all, for having the Holy Spirit within me allows me so many benefits that were not given to the OT believers.  The Holy Spirit gives me understanding as I read His Word, which was unlike the apostles of Jesus Christ had when they were walking with Him before they received the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit gives to me verses of Scripture when I need it, like last Sunday when I had the great privilege of leading Mary Catalusci to a saving knowledge in Jesus Christ.  As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, I want to be ready to tell others about the grace that is available to them when the Holy Spirit gives me opportunity to talk to someone.  I want to lay hold of Christ Jesus for what He has laid hold of me for.

 

The Word of God was instructive, and refreshing to me as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the leading of the Holy Spirit and to give the verses that He has laid upon my heart to Valerie tomorrow should He give me that wonderful opportunity.  To trust the Lord with the health of Sandy, knowing that He is in control of what is going on and He has promised us to never leave us nor forsake us, and that He will cause all things to work together for good for those who love him and are called for His purpose.