The Reward For Trusting Him Will Be The Salvation Of Your Souls
Only By Faith
1 PETER 1:6-9
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
”I Peter 1:6-9 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/1pe.1.8.NKJ
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Jesus had said to Thomas, His disciple who came to believe after touching the resurrected Christ, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me" (JOHN 20:29).
Peter, having heard those words, repeats them here. "You love him even though you have never seen him."
That faith brings both salvation and joy through the promise of the day when pain and suffering will end and perfect justice begins. Faith will be rewarded and evil will be punished.
But what should we do until then?
God gives us a simple answer in the bible; simple, but not necessarily easy.
We believers, because we know the future, must put aside our own agendas and faithfully serve God here and now.
If today that means resolving a conflict, mending a hurt, working in a dull job, rebuilding a marriage, confronting a belligerent child, or just waiting for guidance, do it all with the joy of the Lord who will return with His reward. But we must remain on the level God placed us, unlike the devil because of selfish ambitions tried to climb the highest mountain to be like God (ISAIAH 14:12-14).
just like him, our selfless agendas shall bring us crashing down (ISAIAH 14:15).
Furthermore, no one can be saved by works, nor good deeds; nor can any amount of money buy your place with God, those things shall profit you nothing; indeed, “As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, To go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is a severe evil— Just exactly as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he who has labored for the wind?”
Ecclesiastes 5:15-16 NKJV
My beloved, only by faith can anyone be saved from eternal darkness. But what is faith?
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”
Hebrews 11:1-3 NKJV
This world has become a very scary place; the darkness of evil hovers over us as our financial systems are collapsing, unnecessary rules and restrictions are being put into place which are destroying our businesses and freedoms; poverty is increasing by the fast growing world-wide inflation and increasing unemployment; pestilence is being used by some as a tool of control; anxiety/ depression, and suicides, are increasing, as is all kinds of sickness, and the threat of world war is a serious reality.
But the truth is, those in Christ already have the victory over all these things; not just these things, but even death itself through Christ who is our strength (1 CORINTHIANS 15:57).
Furthermore, because Jesus died on a cross to pay the debt of sin and then on the third day defeated death when He was risen (MATHEW 28:1-10), those in Christ died with Him-the old man is gone, they died to sin, and because He is risen, all believers are risen, “born again” into resurrection life.
Regardless of the suffering, the trials and challenges we face today, we have a wonderful future to look forward to-the former things shall pass away and the new will come.
“This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.“
II Timothy 2:11-13 NKJV
But my beloved, do you believe? ”By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.“
Hebrews 11:4-7 NKJV
No other religious organisation deals with the problem of sin. It’s not difficult to understand; if one goes through a red light and is caught by the camera, we have to pay the fine. The wages of sin is death, and every one of us sinned, and therefore too late to live by works. We are all saved by grace, but grace doesn’t override justice, if it did, Christ would not of needed to die a criminals death on a cross.
Therefore, only by faith in Christ Jesus can anyone one be saved.
He told us, He is the way, the truth, and the life, He is the only way to our Father in heaven (JOHN 14:6).
It’s not through service, though we are called to serve, and it’s not by works, though faith without works is dead (JAMES 2:17).
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.””
Romans 10:8-13 NKJV
My beloved, Jesus Christ is the ultimate judge who is coming to decide your eternal future; looking upon the things of this world, it’s not difficult to understand that now would be a good time to know Him.
Give your life to Christ today, for tomorrow may be too late.
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
