1 PETER 1 (NOTES OF A READING)
[p. 208] 1 PETER 1 (NOTES OF A READING)
Rem We were saying last time that “the salvation of your souls” does not refer to the body.
Rem This salvation is something we receive now, “the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls”. We have got one end now, we will get the other end by and by.
CAC It seems clear that if persons are exulting “with joy unspeakable and filled with the glory”, they have received the salvation of their souls. It is inward in contrast to the salvation referred to in verse 5.
Ques Does that refer to full salvation or deliverance when the Lord comes?
CAC It appears so. That is the complete deliverance.
Rem As in Hebrews — it is “salvation ready to be revealed”.
CAC That is the salvation of which the prophets spoke.
Ques You make verse 10 go back to verse 5?
CAC Do you not think that?
Rem Yes.
CAC The prophets did not speak much about the salvation which would be brought to saints at the coming of the Lord when they would be completely delivered from every circumstance of sorrow and trial.
Rem It was the gospel according to the prophets.
CAC Yes, the prophets spoke of the first coming of Christ, and also of His second coming.
Rem The force of the passage is connected with the word “receiving”.
CAC Yes; that is, the believer received complete inward deliverance, being brought to love Jesus Christ and to believe on Him and to exult with joy unspeakable and filled with glory. What could be added to that in the way of inward deliverance?
Rem It is present — “receiving” — not past or future.
Ques Is soul salvation the subject of the gospel?
CAC Well, I suppose it is.
Rem We do not need to be saved from God, though we sometimes preach like that. He is against sin and evil, but God is for us. We need to be saved from ourselves, the power of evil within. If we knew more of this soul salvation, we should be free from this world and all it can offer; as you were saying of verse 8.
Ques What do you understand by “the end of your faith”?
CAC Is it not the present end, rather than the future end?
Ques Is it result — not exactly completion or finish? Is it a goal rather?
CAC I think it is that the faith brings us to inward deliverance, and we rejoice in that. It is really a Person known in the heart though unseen — He who is filling the heart through faith — so that one is inwardly free from every kind of pressure there might be around us. Faith might be proved by fire as we read in verse 7. That is a time perhaps of being put to grief by various trials, but then no trial can take away from the faithful saint the joy of knowing a glorified Saviour.
Rem Coming into contact with the Lord would bring that about, as with the woman at the end of Luke 7. It was a matter of sinnership with her.
CAC She went away with that Person in her heart clearly, and she had something greater in her heart than anything outward or changed circumstances possibly could be. It is too often the case with believers in conditions of trial, that they would like their circumstances to be changed, but it is much greater for me to be changed, so that I am supremely happy in the circumstances of trial, without having them changed at all. It is a much greater thing than having the circumstances changed.
[p. 210] Ques Is there a difference between salvation and deliverance? Is deliverance more from, and salvation what you are brought to?
CAC Yes, that is, there is something a little more positive in the thought of salvation. “My strength and song is Jah, and he is become my salvation” (Exodus 15: 2). It is what God is found to be to His people who know Him.
Rem Deliverance is usually from the world, etc., while salvation brings into the conscious enjoyment of God and Christ.
CAC Yes.
Ques Would Habakkuk illustrate soul salvation? He sees the enemy invading, and no herd in the stalls, etc., but in the last two verses says, “Yet I will rejoice in Jehovah, I will joy in the God of my salvation”, etc.
CAC I think that is very good.
Ques Would you explain the difference between “The Spirit of Christ which was in them” (verse 11), and “Holy men of God spake under the power of the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1: 21)?
CAC It is very interesting to see that the Spirit of Christ was in the Old Testament prophets, and I suppose in Old Testament saints. I think it suggests that they could enter feelingly into what they spoke of, though they did not understand how it was to be worked out.
Ques Is the difficulty to recognise the fact that the One in whom every thought of God is secured and established has been put out of the world by way of death and rejection? We see the Spirit of Christ in Moses; he esteemed “the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt” (Hebrews 11: 26).
CAC Yes, there was to be a long time of suffering when what was of God would suffer. Outwardly that continues now, the sufferings of Christ. If there is a little bit of Christ in me it will involve a little bit of suffering; if more it will involve more suffering. There is the time of “the sufferings which belonged to Christ”, but then there are “the glories after these”, and the prophets could not quite understand; it was not possible until Christ actually came Himself, and He had to suffer in an extraordinary way.
There are wonderful things to be known by the testimony of Christ’s Spirit, but they are things to give inward joy. Presently, at the revelation of Jesus Christ, there will be complete outward deliverance from all trial and pressure; all will be removed by His mighty power. Wonderful grace is to come to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Ques Do the things the angels desire to look into refer to salvation and what is suggested here?
CAC Yes, that was the testimony of the Spirit of Christ in the prophets, and still a greater testimony rendered by those who declared the glad tidings by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is a very exalted position now, and angels are moved to very great concern in these things; they would like to understand them.
Rem They look on us now.
Rem In the assembly they see the all-various wisdom of God. The saints are their lesson book.
CAC I have no doubt at all that the angels are very interested in the word ministered amongst the saints. They are very interested in our reading this afternoon. They would like to know what we know of the Lord, and to gather up this knowledge from what we are occupied with.
Rem The angels learn now by seeing things take shape in the assembly.
CAC The angels are looking on to see how God works out His great designs. They know that Christ is glorified, but they have not seen the saints glorified yet. They are waiting to see the saints glorified, and they are observing how things are working out in the suffering time. The angels do not understand that.
Rem They see a kind of foretaste in verse 8. It makes the prophetic scriptures [p. 212] very wonderful.
CAC God was pleased to reveal to the prophets that what they ministered was for others and saints found on the earth long after they had left this scene. All this is intended to make us sober. It is intended to promote holiness.
Rem The Holy Spirit is sent from heaven. That is not quite true of the Lord; He came. It is important to observe the distinction.
CAC The Holy Spirit does not become incarnate, but He is sent from heaven upon a personal mission — that certain persons might be enabled to preach the glad tidings in divine power. I suppose it refers to the apostles.
Ques Would it refer to the whole of the Spirit’s mission here? The glad tidings are not effectual but by the power of the Spirit.
CAC But there were men who actually did it. We could not say that every gospel preaching is by the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven. That is the proper character of the testimony, is it not?