1-2 Peter (Sections 249-252)

Section 249 "Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."—1 Peter 1:9 The greater benefits of salvation are usually classed among things to come, but indeed a large portion of them may be received here now.

I. What of salvation is received here?

1. The whole of it by the grip of faith, and the grace of hope.

2. The absolute and final pardon of sin is ours at this moment.

3. Deliverance from slavish bondage, and from a sense of awful distance from God is a present relief.

Peace, reconciliation, contentment, fellowship with God, and delight in God, we enjoy at this hour.

4. Rescue from the condemning power of sin is now complete.

5. Release from its dominion is ours. It can no longer command us at its will, nor lull us to sleep by its soothing strains.

6. Conquest over evil is given to us in great measure at once.

Sins are conquerable. No one should imagine that he must necessarily sin because of his constitutional surroundings.

Holy living is possible. Some have reached a high degree of it. Why not others?

7. Joy may become permanent in the midst of sorrow. The immediate heritage of believers is exceedingly great.

Salvation is ours at this day, and with it "all things."

II. How is it received?

1. Entirely from Jesus, as a gift of divine grace.

2. By faith, not by sight or feeling. We believe to see, and this is good. To require to see in order to believe is vicious.

3. By fervent love to God. This excites to revenge against sin, and so gives present purification. This also nerves us for consecrated living, and thus produces holiness.

4. By joy in the Lord. This causes us to receive peace unspeakable, not to be exaggerated, nor even uttered. Too great, too deep to be understood, even by those who enjoy it.

Much of heaven may be enjoyed before we reach it.

III. Have you received it, and how much?

1. You have heard of salvation, but hearing will not do.

2. You profess to know it, but mere profession will not do.

3. Have you received pardon? Are you sure of it?

4. Have you been made holy? Are you daily cleansed in your walk?

5. Have you obtained rest by faith and hope and love?

Make these inquiries as in God's sight.

If the result is unsatisfactory, begin at once to seek the Lord.

Look for the appearing of the Lord as the time for receiving in a fuller sense "the end of your faith."

Breviates An evangelist said in my hearing: "He that believeth hath everlasting life. HATH—that spells 'got it.' " It is an odd way of spelling, but it is sound divinity.—C. H. S. This is the certainty of their hope, that it is as if they had already received it. If the promise of God and the merit of Christ hold good, then they who believe in him, and love him, are made sure of salvation. The promises of God in Christ "are not yea and nay; but they are in him yea and amen." Sooner may the rivers run backward, and the course of the heavens change, and the frame of nature be dissolved, than any one soul that is united to Jesus Christ by faith and love can be severed from him, and so fall short of the salvation hoped for in him; and this is the matter of their rejoicing— Archbishop Leighton. To fall into sin is a serious thing, even though the guilt of it be forgiven. A boy who had often been disobedient was made by his father to drive a nail into a post for each offense. When he was well-behaved for a day he was allowed to draw out one of the nails. He fought against his temper bravely, and at last all the nails were gone from the post, and his father praised him. "Alas, father," said the lad, "the nails are all gone, but the holes are left!" Even after forgiveness it will require a miracle of grace to recover us from the ill effects of sin. In St. Peter's, at Rome, I saw monuments to James III., Charles III., and Henry IX., kings of England. These potentates were quite unknown to me. They had evidently a name to reign, but reign they did not; they never received the end of their faith. Are not many professed Christians in the same condition?—C. H. S.

Section 250 "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall
the ungodly and the sinner appear?"—1 Peter 4:18 "Scarcely saved" points out the difficulty of salvation.

Some think it easy to begin by believing; but the prophet cries, "Who hath believed?" and Jesus asks, "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"

Some may also think it easy to persevere to the end, but the godly are hard put to it to keep their faces Zionward.

It is no light thing to be saved: omnipotent grace is needed.

It is no trifling thing to be lost, but it can be done by neglect.

I. The fact:

"The righteous scarcely are saved."

1. From the connection we conclude that the righteous are saved with difficulty because of the strictness of divine rule.

"The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God."

There is equity and fitness in this speciality of examination.

These tests are many, varied, repeated, applied by God himself.

Good corn endures the sickle, the flail, the fan, the sieve, the mill, the oven. The great test of all is the omniscient judgment of the jealous God. What grace will be needed to pass that ordeal!

2. From the experience of saints we come to the same conclusion.

They find many saving acts to be hard, as for instance— To lay hold on Christ simply, and as sinners. To overcome the flesh from day to day. To resist the world with its blandishments, threats, and customs. To vanquish Satan and his horrible temptations. To perform needful duties in a humble and holy spirit. To reach to gracious attainments and to continue in them. To pass the tribunal of their own awakened and purified conscience, and to receive a verdict of acquittal there.

3. From the testimony of those who are safely landed.

"These are they which came out of great tribulation."

II. The inference from the fact:

"Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

1. If even the true coin is so severely tested, what will become of "reprobate silver"?

2. If saints scarcely reach heaven, what of the ungodly? What can they do who have no God?

What can they do who have no Saviour?

What can they do who are without the Spirit of God?

What without prayer, the Word, the promise of God, etc.?

What without diligence? When the tradesman, though careful, is losing all his capital, what of the spendthrift?

What without truth? When the fire consumes houses strongly built, what must become of wood, hay, stubble?

3. If saints are so sorely chastened, what will justice mete out to the openly defiant sinner?

III. Another inference. Where will the mere professor appear?

If the truly godly have a hard fight for it— The formalist will find ceremonies a poor solace. The false professor will be ruined by his hypocrisy. The presumptuous will find his daring pride a poor help.

He who trusted to mere orthodoxy of creed will come to a fall.

Height of office will do no more than increase responsibility.

IV. Another inference.

Then the tempted soul may be saved.

It seems that even those who are truly saints are saved with difficulty: then we may be saved, though we have a hard struggle for it.

Uprising corruption makes us stagger. A persecuting world tries us sorely.

Fierce temptations from without cause us perplexity.

Loss in inward joys bring us to a stand.

Failure in holy efforts tests our faith. But in all this we have fellowship with the righteous of all ages.

They are saved, and so shall we be.

V. Another inference.

How sweet will heaven be!

There the difficulties will be ended for ever.

There the former trials will contribute to the eternal bliss.

Enforcements When the apostle uses the phrase—"If the righteous scarcely be saved," he does not, assuredly, mean that there is any doubt about the absolute and infinite sufficiency of the ground of their salvation: or that there is any uncertainty in the result; or that there is any stintedness or imperfection in the final enjoyment; or that, when believers come to stand before the judgment-seat at last, it will go hard with them, so that they may barely come off with acquittal, the poised balance vibrating in long uncertainty, and barely turning on the favorable side, the justifying righteousness of their Lord forming no more than a counterpoise, and hardly that, to their demerits. He means none of these things. His language refers to the difficulty in bringing them through to their final salvation; to the necessity of employing the rod and furnace; the process in many instances severe, of correction and purification; of bringing them "to the wealthy place through the fire and the water"; of their "entering the kingdom through much tribulation"; of their being "chastened of the Lord, that they might not be condemned with the world." If "fiery trial" be required, and his hatred of sin and his love to his children will not allow him to withhold it, to purge out the remaining alloy of their holiness, what must his enemies have to look for from his abhorrence of evil, in whom sin is not the mere alloy of a better material, but all is sin together?—Dr. Wardlaw.

There is much ado to get Lot out of Sodom, to get Israel out of Egypt. It is no easy matter to get a man out of the state of corruption.—Richard Sibbes. Of this I am assured, that no less devotion than that which carried the martyrs through the flames, will carry us unpolluted through this present world.—Mrs. Palmer. Do you grieve and murmur that you must be saved with difficulty? Ungrateful creatures! you had deserved certain damnation. The vengeance of God might have appeared armed for your destruction; and he might long ago have sworn in his wrath that you should never enter into his rest. And will you complain of the Lord's leadings because he does not always strew your path with roses?—Dr. Doddridge.

"Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Surely nowhere. Not before saints and angels, for holiness is their trade. Not before God, for he is of "more pure eyes than to behold them." Not before Christ, for he shall come in flaming fire, rendering vengeance. Not in heaven, for it is an undefiled inheritance.—John Trapp. Where shall he appear, when to the end that he might not appear, he would be glad to be smothered under the weight of the hills and mountains, if they could shelter him from appearing?—Archbishop Leighton.

Section 251

"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also
an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and
also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed." —1 Peter 5:1 The apostle's care. He was anxious that the elders should tend the flock of God, and make themselves examples to it. The apostle's gentleness—"I exhort": not command, etc. The apostle's humility—"also an elder." He does not insist upon his apostleship, though this was much the greater office. The apostle's wisdom—"also an elder." In this capacity he would have most weight with them in his exhortation.

Besides this, he mentioned two other characters, and calls himself "a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed."

I. A witness of the sufferings of christ. So far as possible, let us be witnesses with Peter.

1. An eye-witness of those sufferings. Apostles must have seen Jesus.

He had seen the passion and death of our Lord. In this we cannot participate, nor need we desire to do so.

2. A faith-witness of those sufferings.

He had personally believed on Jesus at the first.

He had further believed through after-communion with him.

3. A testifying witness of those sufferings.

He bore witness to their bitterness when borne by Jesus.

He bore witness to their importance as an atonement.

He bore witness to their completeness as a satisfaction.

He bore witness to their effect in perfect salvation.

4. A partaking witness of those sufferings. In defense of truth he suffered from opposers. In winning others he suffered in the anguish of his heart. In serving his Lord he suffered exile, persecution, death.

What he witnessed in all these ways became a motive and a stimulus for his whole life.

II. A partaker of the glory to be revealed.

It is important to partake in all that we preach, or else we preach without vividness and assurance.

1. Peter had enjoyed a liberal foretaste of the glory on the holy mount.

We, too, have our earnests of eternal joy.

2. Peter had not yet seen the glory which shall be revealed, and yet he had partaken of it in a spiritual sense: our participation must also be spiritual. Peter had been a spiritual partaker in the following ways— By faith in the certainty of the glory. By anticipation of the joy of the glory. By sympathy with our Lord, who has entered into glory.

3. Peter had felt the result of faith in that glory— In the comfort which it yielded him. In the heavenliness which it wrought in him. In the courage with which it endowed him.

These two things, his witnessing and his partaking, made our apostle intense in his zeal for the glory of God. Because he had seen and tasted of the good word, he preached it with living power and vivid speech. All preachers need to be witnesses and partakers.

These made him urgent with others to "feed the flock of God." Such a man could not endure triflers.

These are the essentials for all eminently useful and acceptable service. The Lord will only bless witnesses and partakers.

Hints

I remember a story which runs thus:—To a saint who was praying the evil spirit showed himself radiant with royal robes, and crowned with a jewelled diadem, and said, "I am Christ— I am descending on the earth—and I desire first to manifest myself to thee." The saint kept silence, and looked on the apparition; and then said, "I will not believe that Christ is come to me save in the state and form in which he suffered; he must wear the marks of the wounds and the cross." The false apparition vanished. The application is this: Christ comes not in pride of intellect or reputation for ability. These are the glittering robes in which Satan is now arraying himself. Many false spirits are abroad, more are issuing from the pit: the credentials which they display are the precious gifts of mind, beauty, richness, depth, originality. Christian, with the saint, look hard at them in silence, and ask them for the print of the nails.—Dr. J. S. Howson.

'Tis a very sad thing when preachers are like printers, who compose and print off many things, which they neither understand, nor love, nor experience; all they aim at is money for printing, which is their trade. It is also sad when ministers are like gentlemen ushers, who bring ladies to their pews, but go not in themselves—bring others to heaven and themselves stay without.—Ralph Venning.

Section 252

"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to
reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be pun ished." —2 Peter 2:9 "The Lord knoweth." Our faith in the superior knowledge of God is a great source of comfort to us—

• In reference to perplexing doctrines.

• In reference to puzzling prophecies.

• In reference to amazing promises.

• In reference to distressing providences.

• In reference to grievous temptations.

In our entrance upon an unknown world in the last solemn article in death. The government of this world and the next is in the hands of the all-knowing One, who cannot be mistaken, nor taken at unawares.

I. The Lord's knowledge in reference to character.

1. He knows the godly—

Under trial, when they are not known to others.

Under temptation, when scarcely known to themselves.

2. He knows the unjust—

Though they may make loud professions of piety.

Though they may be honored for their great possessions. No error either as to partiality or severity is made by God.

II. The Lord's knowledge in reference to the godly. A people knowing, fearing, trusting, loving God.

He knows how to let them suffer, and yet to deliver them in the most complete and glorious manner.

1. His knowledge answers better than theirs would do.

2. His knowledge of their case is perfect. Before, in, and after temptation he knows their sorrows.

3. He knows in every case how to deliver them.

4. In every case there must therefore be a way of escape.

5. He knows the most profitable way of deliverance for themselves.

6. He knows the way which will be most glorifying to himself.

7. His knowledge should cause them to trust in him with holy confidence, and never to sin in order to escape.

III. The Lord's knowledge in reference to the unjust.

They are unjust in all senses, for they are— Not legally just by keeping the law; Nor evangelically just through faith in Jesus; Nor practically just in their daily lives. The Lord knows best—

1. How to deal with them from day to day.

2. How to reserve them under restraints. He makes it possible to reprieve them, and yet to maintain law and order.

3. How to punish them with unrest and fears even now.

4. How and when to strike them down when their iniquities are full.

5. How to deal with them in judgment, and throughout the future state. The mysteries of eternal doom are safe in his hand.

Two fine illustrations of the Lord's dealings with the righteous and the wicked may be found in Acts 12, in connection with Peter's life:

Peter in prison was unexpectedly set free.

Herod on the throne was eaten of worms.

Brevia On the headstone of a little grave containing a little child which was washed ashore during the gales, without any clue to birth, name, or parentage, was placed the epitaph: "God knows."—Leisure Hour.

"The Lord knoweth how." It is set down indefinitely; no man, no apostle, no angel, can know all the means of God's delivering his: it is enough that he himself knows. This gives a check to all saucy inquirers that will not believe help from the Lord, unless he tells them how. . . . Deliverance we look for: how or when the Lord will deliver thee or me, that is in his own bosom, and in the breast of his Privy Counsellor, Jesus Christ.—Thomas Adams. In the Life and Letters of G. Ticknor, a remark is made to the effect, that when in Brussels, and conversing with some of the elite of society there, he could not avoid constantly remembering that two of the high-minded intellectual persons with whom he was sitting were under sentence of death if found within the grasp of Austria. We cannot forget that many around us are now "under condemnation," and are "reserved until the day of judgment."