By Royce Frederick

God’s plan for redeeming man stands as a rainbow of hope, spanning from eternity unto eternity. In 1 Peter 1:13-25, the apostle Peter gives us a beautiful view of this redemption. He shows us ten elements involved in our salvation, carrying our thoughts from the eternal past to the eternal future.

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (14) as obedient children not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; (15) but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, (16) because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’ (17) And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your sojourning here in fear; (18) knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (20) He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you (21) 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. (22) Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, (23) having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, (24) because ‘All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, (25) but the word of the LORD endures forever.’ Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:13-25).

GOD'S PLAN BEFORE TIME BEGAN

“He [Christ] indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest [shown] in these last times for you” (1 Peter 1:20).

Some people have said that Christianity presents a God who was angry at man for 4,000 years, until He finally decided how to solve the problem of sin by sending His Son. That is false. God’s plan (purpose) to send His Son was in God’s mind long before the world was created. God had an “eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3:11). God planned to wait for a certain time. In “the fullness of the times” He planned to “gather together in one all things in Christ” (Eph. 1:10).

Until after the cross, God did not completely reveal His “mystery” (secret) to anyone. In the Old Testament part of the Bible, the prophets of God revealed portions of the secret (Heb. 1:1-2). Those prophets desired to know more about the secret. “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently” (1 Peter 1:10). They were trying to understand when the fulfillment of their prophecies would come (1 Peter 1:11). But God did not permit them to understand the full meaning of their own prophecies (Matt. 13:16-17). The time had not yet come for the secret to be revealed.

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law” (Gal. 4:4). After Jesus finished His work on earth, the “mystery” was completely revealed through His New Testament apostles and prophets (Eph. 3:3-5; 1 Cor. 2:713). The gospel of Christ is “the mystery which was kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest...” (Rom. 16:25-26).

THE DEATH OF CHRIST FOR OUR SINS

Peter wrote, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold...but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Near the dawn of creation, God said to Satan, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Gen. 3:15; see 3:1; Rev. 12:9). This was first spoken in the garden of Eden. It was later written by Moses about 1500 years before Christ was born. It was a warning of punishment to Satan, and it was also God’s first whisper of hope to mankind, the first hint of the cross. When the enemies of Christ killed Him on the cross, they thought they had utterly defeated Him. However, Satan had merely “bruised His heel.” It was a wound which Christ overcame in only three days! But Christ struck Satan with a fatal “bruise” to his “head” by dying for our sins and arising victorious over death! Jesus Christ had become flesh and blood so that “through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb. 2:14-15).

The penalty for sin is death (Ezekiel 18:20; Rom. 6:23). Jesus of Nazareth is the only man who ever lived who never committed any sin (Rom. 3:23). Peter writes of Jesus, “‘Who committed no sin, nor was guile [deception] found in His mouth’ ...who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree [cross], that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes [wounds from being whipped] you were healed” (1 Peter 2:22, 24). He took our punishment for us. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just [righteous — Christ] for the unjust [unrighteous — us], that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus Christ is the only perfect sacrifice for our sins. He is “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn. 1:29 ).

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

Peter speaks of Christians, “who through Him [Christ] believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:21). The “glories” of Christ followed His “sufferings” (1 Peter 1:11).

The Bible tells of several people who were raised from death. But Jesus is the only one who arose from death to never die again. “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore...” (Rev. 1:18). Jesus arose triumphant over death! He was seen alive by hundreds of witnesses during forty days (1 Cor. 15:3-7; Acts 1:3). Peter writes of “...the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him” (1 Peter 3:21-22).

We have not set our hope on one who is lying in a tomb. Our hope is alive! God “...has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3)!

THE GOSPEL

Peter writes of how the gospel changed sinners into children of God, “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever...‘but the word of the LORD endures forever.’ Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:23, 25).

On the Jewish day of Pentecost in Acts 2, Peter and the other eleven apostles began preaching the gospel of Christ. The gospel is the “good news” of salvation in Christ and how to obtain it. The gospel is the power of God for our salvation (Rom. 1:16; Js. 1:21). Sending us the gospel is how God calls us “out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9; 2 Thess. 2:14).

Just as a seed has the power of life within it, the gospel has the power to give us life. Jesus said, “The seed is the word of God” (Lk. 8:11) and, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man [Jesus Christ]” (Matt. 13:37). Only the gospel of Christ can save us from sin. Man’s teachings cannot save us (Matt. 15:9, 13; Gal. 1:6-10; 2 Jn. 9; Jude 3). Therefore, we must compare all teachings with God's word to see if they are true (Acts 17:11; 1 Thess. 5:21). When the gospel “seed” is planted in “a noble and good heart” (Lk. 8:15), it produces a Christian.

The gospel “seed” is incorruptible. The gospel and its power will never be destroyed. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matt. 24:35). The gospel of Christ will endure forever (Jn. 12:48; Rom. 2:16; Rev. 20:12).

OBEYING THE GOSPEL

“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren...” (1 Peter 1:22), and “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God...” (1 Peter 1:23).

In Acts 15:9, Peter said that God “...made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.” Did Peter teach that a sinner is saved by faith only? No! Peter also wrote, “you have purified your souls in obeying the truth” (1 Peter 1:22). A sinner’s heart is purified by faith when he obeys the gospel.

Many preachers today never tell sinners to “obey the gospel.” They prefer to say things like, “Ask Jesus to come into your heart as your personal Saviour.” But Peter taught that a sinner must obey the gospel. He taught that a sinner is saved by faith when he obeys the gospel. And he clearly taught what it means to obey the gospel. “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38). A sinner must hear the gospel, believe it, repent of his sins (decide to turn away from sin), confess his faith in Christ, and be baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sins (Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 17:30; 8:35-39; 2:38; 22:16).

Peter shows that obeying the gospel is how we become members of the family or “house” of God. “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17). This clearly shows that the persons who are members of the “house of God” have obeyed the gospel.

We become members of a family by birth. Peter refers to obeying the gospel as being “born again” (1 Peter 1:23). At baptism in water our new birth occurs. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Jesus explained this new birth, saying, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). A person has been “born of water and the Spirit” when he arises out of the water of baptism as a new creature (Rom. 6:3-5, 17-18; Gal. 3:26-27; 4:6; 1 Cor. 6:19-20). That is the new birth!

In chapter 3, Peter again teaches that baptism is necessary for salvation. He wrote about the flood and Noah’s ark “...in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:20-21). The flood water washed away all the sinful people and came between the ark and the sinful world. Likewise, baptism in water is the time when all of our sins are removed by the grace of God. The water of baptism comes between us and our former life of sin.

CHRISTIAN LIVING

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober...” (1 Peter 1:13). The greatest hindrance to workers or runners could come from their own long, loose clothing. Those who tied up their clothing could work or run best. Likewise, we must properly gather up and tighten the attitudes of our mind. A sober mind is balanced by healthy amounts of “hope” and “fear” (1 Peter 1:13, 17).

Living for Christ involves some negatives and some positives. We must turn away from evil: “as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance” (1 Peter 1:14). “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). But we must also “love one another fervently with a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22). “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins’” (1 Peter 4:8).

A vital ingredient of the Christian life is prayer: “if you call on the Father” (1 Peter 1:17). Peter shows the importance of prayer by speaking of it in four other places in this letter (1 Peter 3:7, 12; 4:7; 5:7).

OUR PHYSICAL DEATH

“...‘All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away’” (1 Peter 1:24).

Death is not a terror to those who are faithful in Christ (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:50-57). This physical body, with its sickness and pain, is a “mere tent,” not the permanent house for our souls (2 Peter 1:13-14; 2 Cor. 4:16-5:1). And our time on earth is so brief that Peter calls it “the time of your sojourning” (1 Peter 1:17). We are “sojourners and pilgrims” on this earth — mere travelers passing through. Knowing that this world will perish, we “look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).

THE COMING OF CHRIST

Peter speaks of things which will happen “at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13 and 1:7).

After He had finished His work on earth and as He talked with His apostles, “He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9). At the right time, He will return in the same way (Acts 1:11; Matt. 26:64). “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him...” (Rev. 1:7). Peter does not say “if” He comes again, but “when the Chief Shepherd appears...” (1 Peter 5:4). Jesus promised, “...I will come again...” (Jn. 14:3; see Rev. 22:7, 12, 20).

THE JUDGMENT DAY

“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your sojourning here in fear” (1 Peter 1:17).

That day will be sad for all who disobey God and who speak evil of His people. “They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5). But all who obey God take comfort in His righteous judgment. We should be like Jesus, “...who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23).

ETERNAL LIFE AND GLORY

As a Christian, you should “...rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13).

As a Christian, your hope includes “...an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4; see 5:1, 4). It is possible for a saved person to turn away from Christ and be lost (2 Peter 2:20-22). But there will be “praise, honor, and glory” for all who have been faithful to Christ (1 Peter 1:7).

If you are faithful, you will be “...receiving the end of your faith; the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:9). Christ will “bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18)!

Peter certainly gives us a wonderful view of redemption! May you obey the gospel of Christ, and “..may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you” (1 Peter 5:10)!