Tuesday, January 24, 2006
1 Peter 1:20-21 He [Jesus Christ] indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
GOD'S LOVE IN ACTION = OUR SALVATION . . . BELIEVE IT!
Notice what Peter says about the reason for Christ's manifestation or appearance. He was manifest "for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."
God made His plan of salvation in eternity and God carried out His plan of salvation in time for one reason: for you and me. It was all because of us that Jesus was born on earth and that He became the Lamb of God bearing the sin of the world on the cross. God did not need to work out a plan of salvation for Himself. He needed no salvation. It was for our sakes that He did what He did. We sinners, of course, are not worthy of such loving attention from our God and His Son. But He did it anyway. "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son." Out of concern for us He did not spare this Son of His but delivered Him up for us all. Not only did Christ redeem us; He let us know what He did, so that we would believe in Him and rely on His plan of salvation.
When Jesus died on the cross because of our sins, we were redeemed, we were set free, we were released by this precious payment of God's blood. And then God raised the Redeemer from the dead and gave Him glory, so that we can be sure that our sins are forgiven and that heaven is our home.
Woe be to those who trust in themselves! Woe be to those who depend on their own activities or choices or character or anything other than Jesus' blood and righteousness! Our faith and our hope are in God. We trust in Jesus as our Redeemer. We trust in His death and resurrection. We believe that His resurrection means God forgives us all our sins because Jesus suffered for them in our place. We believe that right at this very moment in time our sins are forgiven for Jesus' sake. We hope -- we need to say it in stronger language -- we have a sure hope of eternal life in heaven with our Lord. Indeed we may die as all flesh dies, if the world lasts long enough. But when Jesus returns at the end of time, our bodies will rise from the dead, and we shall be ever with our Lord, in body and soul, for all time and for all eternity. Our faith and our hope are in God.
