1 Peter Part 1: An Imperishable Inheritance
1 Peter Part 1: An Imperishable Inheritance
1 Peter 1:2-5 Our living hope is found by climbing above the stars to the throne of God and in the person of Jesus
“[elect] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
1 Peter 1:2-5 NASB1995
As I was researching this next part of 1 Peter after the introduction, I came across a quote in Enduring Word for this passage from Charles Spurgeon that brought tears to my eyes, so I’m going to share this right away:
“It is also called a ‘living hope,’ because it is imperishable. Other hopes fade like withering flowers. The hopes of the rich, the boasts of the proud, all these will die out as a candle when it flickers in the socket. The hope of the greatest monarch has been crushed before our eyes; he set up the standard of victory too soon, and has seen it trailed in the mire. There is no unwaning hope beneath the changeful moon: the only imperishable hope is that which climbs above the stars, and fixes itself upon the throne of God and the person of Jesus Christ.” (Spurgeon)
In my devotionals from Psalm 8, I discussed how vast the universe is that God has made. We do not find our living hope in this vast universe, although we can encounter great humility in seeing God’s power and abundance, but we must move beyond our material nature to the imperishable inheritance that resides in Heaven. We must climb above the stars to reach this eternal grace that will not fade away.
How do we climb above the stars? Do we create warp-drive engines or find wormholes to attempt to escape the universe? Of course not! God is outside the time and space He created and is as close as the air that surrounds me as I write this (or even closer, in my heart). I will step from this world to the next in an instant of time. This hope is in an inheritance that is imperishable; some Bible versions use the word incorruptible.
“Imperishable”, according to the Blue Letter Bible, is from the Greek word aphthartos, which is defined as follows:
uncorrupted, not liable to corruption or decay, imperishable
of things
immortal
of the risen dead
So backtracking a little into verse 2 of this passage, this hope is according to the foreknowledge of God and the sanctifying work of the Spirit and obedience of Jesus through His blood. Commentary from Enduring Word describes this foreknowledge and sanctification:
Elect according to the foreknowledge: Peter first described his intended readers as elect. This means simply that they are chosen, chosen by God in a particular and unique sense.
“The opening characterization of the readers as elect was meant to strengthen and encourage them in their affliction. The doctrine of election is a ‘family truth’ intended to foster the welfare of believers.” (D. Edmond Hiebert)
According to the foreknowledge of God: This describes the nature of their election. God’s choosing is not random or uninformed, but according to His foreknowledge, which is an aspect of His omniscience. This foreknowledge includes prior knowledge of our response to the gospel, but is not solely dependent on it.
Though God’s election is according to… foreknowledge, there is more to His foreknowledge than His prior knowledge of my response to Jesus. Election is not election at all if it is only a cause-and-effect arrangement basing God’s choice only on man’s.
In sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience: An essential result of election is sanctification and obedience. While some would like to think that election has only to do with going to heaven or hell, Peter reminds us that it also touches earth. A claim to be among the elect is doubtful if there is no evidence of sanctification and obedience.
And sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: However, since all the elect fall short of perfect sanctification and obedience, there is cleansing from sin provided for them through the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.
There were three circumstances in the Old Testament where blood was sprinkled on people.
At the establishment of Sinai or Old Covenant (Exodus 24:5-8).
At the ordination of Aaron and his sons (Exodus 29:21).
At the purification ceremony for a cleansed leper (Leviticus 14:6-7).
The sprinkling of the blood of Jesus on us accomplishes the same things. First, a covenant is formed, then we are ordained as priests to Him, and finally we are cleansed from our corruption and sin. Each of these is ours through the work of Jesus on the cross.
God the Father… the Spirit… Jesus Christ: Peter’s effortless way of combining the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in our salvation displays the New Testament approach to the Trinity. It is not detailed as a specific doctrine, but woven into the fabric of the New Testament.
Jesus has a Father, but not in the sense of being higher than He or the One who gave Him existence. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have existed together throughout eternity and each is equally God. Father and Son are terms used to describe the relationship between these first two members of the Trinity.
So, is this “Calvinistic” in that God has foreknowledge of His elect, implying pre-destination? God is omniscient and sees all, from pre-time to the end of time. He is not dependent on my choices, but does know what choices I have made long before I was born, making me one of His elect. The concerted effort that the Lord took to bring Steve and I into the fold does make me wonder about why that happened, but I’m not running off to be painted into the corner of a Calvinist viewpoint, except for the fact that I admire folks like Spurgeon and I have been told, in a negative way, that David Guzik has this perspective as well (that criticism was completely dismissive of his commentary, which I have found to be superb). For an interesting perspective on Charles Spurgeon, please see this article on Reasonable Theology.
These mysteries will be answered in due time. I honestly think that people are too hung up on various sectarian creeds and beliefs rather than finding the living hope in the Word of God through Jesus and His apostles. Preach Christ crucified! If I find excellent and broadly used Biblical commentary that makes sense and is appealing, I don’t scrutinize the curricula vitae of the author and ensure that he or she has the “right” foundation. I just know that our salvation will be fully revealed at the last time (our last time or the end of time when our Lord returns). It does not depend on our own goodness and it is the balm that sees us through all of the trials and tribulations of this life, which is one of the main themes of this epistle of Peter.
My next devotional examines 1 Peter 6-9: The purpose of the trials for those who are saved.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - First of all, thank you so much for keeping us safe in our recent travels. Please bless those we encountered who were a blessing to us and also bless those who were difficult to deal with and guide them to you with your Holy Spirit. Second, I thank you for the imperishable inheritance in the living hope that was given to us through the death on the cross of our Lord Jesus and the shedding of His blood and His resurrection. We shall climb above the stars and kneel at your throne for eternity! Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.
Beautifully written