5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ~ 1 Peter 1:3-5
Today, I include v.3-4 in with today's verse for the sake of context. In this letter, the Apostle Peter is providing us with a blueprint on how to live the Christian life in the context of suffering. In v.3-5 the Apostle provides us with three buoys that enable us who are now of another world to navigate the treacherous waters of this world. In v.3-4 we have considered two results of our new birth: a living hope and an enduring inheritance. Today, we consider the next result of our new birth found in 1 Peter 1:5 that we are shielded by God's power.
The believers to whom Peter wrote this letter were being persecuted intensely. They struggled in the midst of their trials to discover God's purpose in it. In order to comfort these suffering believers, Peter reminds them they were shielded by the power of God. The word "shielded" means "guarded" in the same way as a military post is guarded by soldiers. The military guard, in this case, is the Holy Spirit who has the responsibility to guard or protect the believer and his inheritance in Christ for eternity.
Today, I include v.3-4 in with today's verse for the sake of context. In this letter, the Apostle Peter is providing us with a blueprint on how to live the Christian life in the context of suffering. In v.3-5 the Apostle provides us with three buoys that enable us who are now of another world to navigate the treacherous waters of this world. In v.3-4 we have considered two results of our new birth: a living hope and an enduring inheritance. Today, we consider the next result of our new birth found in 1 Peter 1:5 that we are shielded by God's power.
The believers to whom Peter wrote this letter were being persecuted intensely. They struggled in the midst of their trials to discover God's purpose in it. In order to comfort these suffering believers, Peter reminds them they were shielded by the power of God. The word "shielded" means "guarded" in the same way as a military post is guarded by soldiers. The military guard, in this case, is the Holy Spirit who has the responsibility to guard or protect the believer and his inheritance in Christ for eternity.
Fear is an emotion caused by the belief that something or someone poses a threat to us. The believer in Christ does not have to be controlled by fear, but by the immense power of God to guard our eternity. This power grants the believer in Christ the ability to use his trials as an asset rather than a hindrance. The key is that we operate daily from a transcendent point of view that is only granted by God's word and His Holy Spirit. This is why a life lived while walking in the Spirit is so important.
In Ephesians 1:14 the Apostle Paul wrote of the promised Holy Spirit who was given by God to the the believer in Christ as the guarantee of our "salvation" in Christ. This inheritance is our home, our real home. Our home is where we are most at home. Homeliness is defined not by us but by the Lord Jesus, the One who best defines all things. The Holy Spirit guards and guarantees our eventual abiding place with the Lord Jesus and home is naturally where the heart is. God has, through the Holy Spirit, chosen to make His home within the believer in Christ. Our home is not a proximity. Our home is a person. And, that person is the Lord Jesus Christ. He completes all of His creation through His presence.
The believer in Christ and our inheritance is being "shielded by God’s power." Interestingly, this is the same power that God used to create all things, and it is the very same power that raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. God does not promise us the absence of suffering, However, He does promise something much greater; He promises us the ability to transcend and to live according to His precepts. And, when we are living in this way, we discover how suffering serves us. This is why the Apostle Paul references our blessings in the book of Ephesians as being accessed in the heavenly realms. And, when we live according to God's culture, we transcend to the place where we see that what we thought was a curse was actually a blessing.
I know a young lady very close to me who is incredibly skilled at solving problems; she can solve any problem. This young lady has the ability to see well in advance in order to straighten out that which has been made crooked. And the amazing part of it all, she acquired these valuable and very sought out skills by going through many family related trials while growing up. She and her sisters had it rough growing up without a father in the picture. If you look closely enough, you will notice the same is true in your life. Your strengths were acquired through going through many unwanted difficulties and learning from them.
The believer in Christ and our inheritance is being "shielded by God’s power." Interestingly, this is the same power that God used to create all things, and it is the very same power that raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. God does not promise us the absence of suffering, However, He does promise something much greater; He promises us the ability to transcend and to live according to His precepts. And, when we are living in this way, we discover how suffering serves us. This is why the Apostle Paul references our blessings in the book of Ephesians as being accessed in the heavenly realms. And, when we live according to God's culture, we transcend to the place where we see that what we thought was a curse was actually a blessing.
I know a young lady very close to me who is incredibly skilled at solving problems; she can solve any problem. This young lady has the ability to see well in advance in order to straighten out that which has been made crooked. And the amazing part of it all, she acquired these valuable and very sought out skills by going through many family related trials while growing up. She and her sisters had it rough growing up without a father in the picture. If you look closely enough, you will notice the same is true in your life. Your strengths were acquired through going through many unwanted difficulties and learning from them.
The Bible speaks of our "inheritance" as a past event, we were forgiven by God for the penalty of our sin through the death of Christ on the cross. This, the Bible calls our justification. The Bible also speaks of our "inheritance" as a present event or our sanctification through which God is saving us from the power of sin. We do not have to obey sin because as God inculcates His culture within us through His Spirit and His word, we will see the utter stupidity of giving in to sin. Finally, the Bible speaks of our "inheritance" as a future event where we will be will be saved from the presence of sin. This is referred to in the Bible as glorification. When that day comes, we will realize the consummation of our inheritance in Christ earned by Christ on our behalf.
