Sunday, December 6, 2009

1 Peter 1:9-13 - My Hope Rests Fully on Jesus


Lesson 3 -- Written by Marcia McCance
1.What it says:
   9* receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.
 10* ¶ Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
 11* searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
 12* To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things which angels desire to look into.
 13* ¶ 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;

2. What it means:
9* receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.
If we were to replace the word “end” with a synonym (a word that is spelled differently but means the same thing) we might understand what is being said here a little better. Choose a synonym for “end” from the following synonyms and fill in the blank below:      purpose,     outcome,     final destination,     goal,      result
“receiving the                                         of your faith”
What does verse 9 say is the “end of your faith”?                                           
 10* ¶ Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully,
When the holy men of the Old Testament inquired about anything, to whom did they go for answers?                 
It also says they “searched carefully.” Through what did they search?                               
What subject was of interest to them?                                                  
who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
The prophets foretold of what?                                                            
11* searching what, or what manner of time,
They searched for two specific things: – 1. “WHAT” will happen? -- and -- 2. “WHEN” it will happen. The words “what manner of time” imply that they wanted to know the signs that would indicate that the time was near for “Salvation” (Messiah) to appear.
 the Spirit of Christ who was in them
Peter says that “the Spirit of Christ” was in the prophets of the Old Testament!  Peter believed that Jesus, the son of God, definitely had an existence before his earthly incarnation. And not only that, but that He understood His own future – what would occur to Him when He became Incarnate. More proof that our salvation was prepared before the foundation of the world.
There are only two places in the New Testament (NKJV) that use the expression “The Spirit of Christ.”  Paul wrote the other one:
Romans 8:9  But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
For both Peter and Paul the two names are “interchangeable” – for The Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and there is only one God.  Notice also from the words, “the Spirit of Christ who was in them” that the Holy Spirit has been “indwelling” men of God for thousands of years. But it was only after The Resurrection that the Gift of the Holy Spirit was made available to ANYONE who believes in Jesus Christ as Savior.  Until that time, it only happened when God chose a particular man or woman for a particular reason known to Him. That is what Paul meant when he implied that we no longer need to go to a priest to approach God. We can boldly go to Him ourselves, because He has redeemed us back into His Presence through Jesus Christ!
Hebrews 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating
What does the word “indicating” mean?                                                
when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
What two things did God testify about beforehand:
1                                                                         
2                                                                         
Optional:    Read Isaiah Chapters 53 thru 55 and verse 1 of chapter 56 – and Daniel 9:24-25
12* To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering
The prophets of the Old Testament knew that at some time in the future a Messiah, the Prince, would come. They did not know him then, but knew that in the future He would come.  They recorded those prophecies because God revealed by them, that they were “ministering” to a group of “future” people -- (their children, and grandchildren, and all of the descendents of Abraham).
the things which now have been reported to you
The key word in this phrase is “now.”  Peter is saying they are now no longer “prophesies” for the future. They are now reported realities!  News that the prophecies had been fulfilled in Christ!  Based on what we have read so far, what good news had been reported to the pilgrims?                                                                                                                                            
 through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven
By whose power were the evangelists preaching?                                                 
Where did the Holy Spirit come from?                                                        
Because that is where Jesus Christ resides and He sends the Holy Spirit to minister to us!
--things which angels desire to look into.
Commentary by Albert Barnes: “Which things the angels desire to look into.(KJV) The object of this reference to the angels is the same as that to the prophets. It is to impress on Christians a sense of the value of that gospel which they had received, and to show them the greatness of their privileges in being, made partakers of it. It had excited the deepest interest among the most holy men on earth, and even among the inhabitants of the skies.”
Only God knew when Jesus would be born, when he would die, and when he would be resurrected but He indicated it to the prophets to establish their faith for the future. And since we now know these things have happened, we have a responsibility:
13* ¶ Therefore gird up the loins of your mind,
What does “gird up” mean?                                                           
What are “loins”                                                                     
What is to be strengthened?                                                       
So to “gird up the loins of your mind” is a metaphor (word picture) for strengthening our minds. Have you ever seen people who lift heavy objects on their jobs, wearing a very wide black belt around their waists? They wear it to help prevent injury. It strengthens their backs, holds in their abdomens, and also makes it easier for them to lift a heavy load without injuring themselves. Now think about the mind. Peter is here talking about strengthening our minds to keep us from injury! He wants us to do for our minds, what the people who lift heavy loads do for their bodies. And here is how he tells us to do that:
be sober,
What does “sober” mean?                                                          
The first thing Peter tells us to be, is sober! We, as Christians, need to be alert and sober. We need to be conscious and sensible and not allow ourselves to be trapped in the things of the world! Don’t let yourself be tricked by charming people telling you lies. Being sober helps us to both avoid the false things of the world, and give strength to the mind.
and rest your hope fully upon the grace
The second thing Peter says will strengthen our minds starts with “rest our hope.” Look at the words “rest” and “hope:”
Define: “rest”                                                                
Define: “hope”                                                                      
What does Peter say we are to rest our hope upon?                                               
God’s grace!! Don’t you just love the idea of resting our hope upon the grace of God? And don’t leave out the word “fully.” We are to rest our expectations fully upon His grace -- and this gives us strength of mind!
We should examine our minds when we seem to be “wavering” or “weak.” The “sober check” would be to ask yourself: “Am I focusing on things that are true or untrue?” You don’t have to follow every thought that floats through your mind to its conclusion. They are not all worthy of our attention. I’ve learned to begin to distinguish between the thoughts that are worth following and those that are not. To the ones that are not, I just simply say one of the following: “I am not going to worry about that.”  Or “That’s not true, I am not going there.”  By saying these things, or something similar, I simply put a stop to them.
We, also, know what the truth is. Truth is contained in God’s word. Keep your minds on things above – God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit -- the Word of God -- and not on this earth. Begin to state what you know to be truth, such as, “My faith is in Jesus, Jesus is my Redeemer, and my Savior,” or “God is completely good, and has good things in store for me.” Begin to recite appropriate scriptures and you will soon be praising God and praying. And that is resting our hope fully upon the grace of Christ! Trust in the Lord with ALL your mind -- and your heart, soul and strength will follow.  
 Col 3: 1-4 ¶  If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
The grace that is to be brought to you! And to every believer, when Jesus Christ is revealed (or appears). When we see Jesus, face to face, He will be bringing grace to us! Resting our hope fully on the grace that Jesus gives us, strengthens our minds!
Proverbs 3:3-7  Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

3. Personal Application:
BELIEVE, TRUST, CONFORM    (Your personal space)                                                     
                                                                         
                                                                                
                                                                                
Read again the entire passage at the top of this study -- and in another translation – to see if your understanding has expanded!

DEFINITIONS AND SYNONYMS:
end -- purpose, goal, final destination

gird up -- tie up, bind; prepare and strengthen oneself for what is to come.

grace -- God’s freely given gift of good will, loving-kindness, favor; of the merciful kindness, by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues

hope -- expecting something good to happen, a person or thing that may help or save some one, grounds for believing that something good may happen,

indicate -- outline, point to or point out; show: “dotted lines indicate the text's margins”

loins -- back muscles, the part of the body on both sides of the spine between the lowest ribs and the hipbones

preach -- publicly proclaim or teach the good news of Jesus.

prophesied -- foretell future events; say that (a specified thing) will happen in the future;
speak or write by divine inspiration; act as a prophet

reported -- tell of events that have happened, give a spoken or written account of something that one has observed, heard, done, or investigated

rest -- depend on, grounded in, be placed/supported so as to stay in a specified position,

sober -- clearheaded, serious, not drunk, sensible, thoughtful, levelheaded, matter-of-fact, objective,  no-nonsense, straightforward. ANTONYM: frivolous, drunk, flamboyant, silly