3 incorruptible things in 1 Peter 1

Peter in the first chapter of his first epistle reminds us of 3 unchanging, incorruptible and eternal truths for the believer in Christ. They stand in stark contrast to the unstable, ever-changing, unreliable and restless world in which we find ourselves:

"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away" v 24

An incorruptible inheritance (v 4)

Peter reminds his readers that although they were enduring present testing and  sufferings, there was a glorious prospect ahead of them. The inheritance was:

• incorruptible


• undefiled


• it wouldn't fade away


• it was reserved in heaven for them

What a word of encouragement for them and for us today!

An incorruptible redemption (v 18)

Peter reminds them that they were bought with a price (1 Cor 6 and 7) and that this payment had not been made with the corruptible measures of man, but with something invaluable and precious! The precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It's value is inestimable before God, it never devalues or diminishes, and it can never be cancelled out! What was paid at Calvary is for all eternity, praise his name.

The incorruptible Word of God (v23)

Finally Peter reminds us that we have been born again, we have new life from that seed that was planted, the incorruptible Word of God.

I think the words of the Lord Jesus were in Peter's mind here as he recalled the parable of the sower. The seed was dispersed by the sower, with differing results. Both Mark's and Luke's Gospel make it clear that the sower sowed the Word of God (the Gospel) and it is this that germinates and grows into fruit (salvation). The Word of God is incorruptible and endureth forever, it is his Word and is perfect, complete and inerrant.

"And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you"

Give thanks and praise God!

Yours in Christ, Mark

 

"What shall I do...?"

"What shall I do...?"

I thought by looking at this little question in the New Testament there is a little framework here for a Gospel meeting, I trust these thoughts are a blessing to us.

Mark 10:17 - "what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"

This is a common question that we hear men asking, and men down the centuries of time have desired to have eternal life, the concept is well sought after! Many people have their own ideas about this, and many people are doing various things in the hope of obtaining eternal life. We need to be clear about the gospel message, we should be very wary of what was called in Galatians "another gospel" as there are many messages in the world today that purport to be Christian but we should tell people to hold it up to the light of scripture and see how it compares to the truth of God's Word! The simple gospel message remains unchanged over the last 2000 years - repent, and believe.

Luke 12:17 - "what shall I do because I have no room where to bestow all my fruits?"

Again this is also relevant for today, as we live in a materialistic world, a consumer society. Some people sadly care nothing for their soul's salvation, their eternal destiny, or about God and the sacrificial death of his Son on the cross for them. Some people are merely concerned with the things of this world,how they can increase their goods, their wealth and their social standing. This is tragic as they will go through life and miss out on God's salvation and find ourselves in a lost eternity! Note that God is appalled at this mans attitude - "thou fool..." The things of this world are temporal and cannot fully satisfy our souls like God can! The Lord Jesus said "what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world yet lose his own soul?" The awful cost of only valuing the temporal and material things in life!

Luke 20:13 - "what shall I do, I will send my beloved son"

We praise God that here was a time in this world's history when he                   sent his Son into this world - God manifest in flesh, the wonder of it! It was the only solution to the sin problem, and only his sacrificial death could satisfy a holy and a righteous God. His divine plan was for him to die at the cross of Calvary, and there bear our sin in his body on that tree, that he might die the just one for the unjust ones in order to bring us to God. We thank God for that death of his on Calvary!

"Oh, wondrous cross! Oh precious blood!

Oh death by which I live!

The sinless One, for me made sin,

Doth now His wondrous heart within,

Eternal refuge give."

Matthew 27:22 - "what shall I do with Jesus which is called Christ?"

Here is the plea of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate to the Jews. It is a question that we must all surely answer for ourselves in our lifetimes, however long that may be. Some may outright reject him, as the Jews did 2000 years ago; others may choose never to address that question, but by doing so they face the prospect of standing before him as their Judge and they will be judged for their sin in that case. The Gospel demands a response from the hearts of men and women and as people depart from our Gospel meetings they will have responded to that message; either to repent and trust Christ as their Saviour for eternal life with him in heaven, or to neglect or reject the good news of the gospel and put it from their minds. But we do so to our eternal cost! The Bible says:

"Now is the accepted time..." 2 Cor 6:2

"Choose life..." Deut 30:19

Yours in Christ,

Mark