In 1 Peter 1:20-25 we are reminded that the work of Jesus was not a plan developed late in the course of redemption. It was foreordained before the foundation of the world, though it was made evident in these last times. “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” God had this plan since creation – it wasn’t a hail Mary He came up with at the last moment. God’s love for us goes back to the very beginning of Creation.
The entire plan of redemption is for those who believe in God, though even their belief is through Him. Those who believe in God are not disappointed because their faith and hope has been substantiated by Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. And it is the only plan. The blood of Jesus is what sets us free through salvation. It purifies us from our sin. “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;”
Holy living is incomplete if it is not accompanied by love. To be a Christian means to have a sincere love of the brethren, but we are encouraged to exercise that love fervently. This kind of love is only possible for those who have been born again and have the Holy Spirit living within them. Our salvation not only gives us eternal life, but it also gives us the means to truly love one another. It is the Word of God that not only gives us new and eternal life, but also empowers us to live out the love and holiness Peter charges us to do. We can never do it on our own.
Peter quotes the Old Testament in Isaiah 40 as he ends this chapter. “….for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” The word of the LORD certainly has endured. It has survived centuries of manual transcription, of persecution, of ever changing philosophies, of all kinds of critics, of neglect both in the pulpit and in the pew, of doubt and disbelief – and still, the word of the LORD endures forever! Bernard Ramm wrote “A thousand times over, the death knell of the Bible has been sounded, the funeral procession formed, the inscription cut on the tombstone, and committal read. But somehow the corpse never stays put.”
And Spurgeon wrote “God’s Word never dies, God’s Word never changes. There are some who think we ought to get a new gospel every few years or even every few weeks, but that was not Peter’s notion. He wrote, and he was divinely inspired to write, concerning ‘the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.’” The Bible isn’t going anywhere. It is eternal, just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is eternal, and it will last forever!
“Portions of this blog post have been taken from the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“
“Scripture (bold and italicized) has been taken from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”
Arlin Sorensen's Thoughts on Scripture 