Title: Graceful Salvation/1 Peter 1:10-13
Contents We live with our minds on our problems, but it seems that we are living without paying attention to what we need to focus on and study and examine. How can I get a seat without falling behind in the world and live without starvation? How can I live a life with a guaranteed future? It seems to be our reality today that these kinds of thoughts do not leave our minds. We are those of us who say we have been saved and believe, but what we are interested in is only this interest in our minds.
But the Bible reveals that the prophets did not do that. The prophets mentioned here are of course the prophets of the Old Testament, but they said that they studied and searched diligently about this salvation. This means that you have researched and searched diligently. This is reminiscent of the attitude of the Bereas in Acts 17. He said, 'The people of Berea were more gentle than those in Thessalonica, so they received the word with eagerness and searched the Scriptures daily to see if this was the case, so many of them believed.' This kind of research and study of salvation is thought of as an attitude that believers must not lose. Because this is so precious, I think that the attitude we should not forget to study while thinking and examining here is an attitude that we should not forget. For believers, this should be a more important concern than concern about how to be safe and how to live.
Now let's see how Peter explains salvation. First, he said 'this salvation'. This refers to the salvation of the soul, which is the end of faith in verse 9. The salvation of the soul does not refer to the salvation of the soul alone, as is often said. Separated into spirit, soul, and body, it does not mean that only the soul is saved, but that all of us are saved. We, who are under sin, have no choice but to seek food because we live by seeking safety and peace. However, the salvation obtained through faith will be free from all these human desires and seek only God rather than seeking the safety and peace of the flesh and will be satisfied with God rather than fleshly food. It is thought to be saying that it is the salvation of the soul because salvation is to be saved from this state and live by the life of the Holy Spirit.
Second, the characteristic of this salvation is that it is given by grace. Verse 10 speaks of 'of this salvation' and 'the grace that will come to you'. The word grace refers to what God simply gives to those who do not deserve it, but here it is implied that it is a wonderful thing that God has worked so hard for and brought about as a result of his hard work. Therefore, verse 13 says, 'Therefore, be sober and sober and hope fully for the grace that will be brought to you at the appearing of Jesus Christ.' Salvation is not insignificant, but more than worth waiting and hoping for after girding our waists and giving up everything. Because these things have been given to us, if we can describe them in one word, it is grace.
It was through the Holy Spirit that the prophets saw the future like this. To say that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, it is better to think of the Old Testament Spirit as the Spirit of Christ, because the work of the Holy Spirit will eventually be completed in Christ. In any case, the fact that the prophets spoke of this future through the Holy Spirit further emphasizes the gracious nature of salvation.
This gracious character is also shown in the words of the prophets, not for their own sake, but for the New Testament saints. This is an amazing story. It is said that they served not for themselves, but for the church of the New Testament. After all, the prophets served the New Testament church. If Christ's work of salvation had happened suddenly without the words of the prophets, it would have been very difficult for the New Testament saints to believe. And modern people would have condemned it as an ideological religion. However, since it is an event that has been told through the prophets for a long time, we can know its roots and history, and through it, we can be more certain of God's faithfulness. It also made it clear that this was not a story made up in human heads. All of these things are the result of God's meticulous work for the New Testament church. Therefore, these ministries of the prophets tell us how much grace they are to the New Testament church.
This salvation was what the angels of heaven wanted to know. However, what was hidden even from angels has now been communicated to the New Testament saints through those who preach the gospel. Therefore, the New Testament saints became clear that the Old Testament prophets had dimly foreseen, and that the heavenly angels also wanted to know. Because we are blessed people. The Lord said to those who see this, 'Blessed are your eyes, for seeing and your ears for hearing' (Matthew 13:16). Those who see salvation through the Lord are truly blessed. Those who are more blessed than the prophets and more blessed than the angels in heaven are New Testament believers. The words of Moses, 'Blessed are you, Israel' were actually fulfilled for the believers in the New Testament.
Therefore, we must be careful not to forget these blessings and not fall into this world. We should know that living in this world is also living by the grace of the Lord, but what we really need to reflect on and examine is whether our attitude toward salvation has been withered by the world. The salvation that the Old Testament prophets studied and looked upon is now evident. All we have to look at is the darkening of our minds. We must look at the grace that He has given us so that we do not become forgetful of the grace that has been given to us.