Engaging the Transformative Truth of Salvation

The words to which I should like to call your attention this evening are to be found in that chapter that we have read at the beginning, the first epistle of Peter, the first chapter, and I'm going to read again verses 10, 11, and 12, verses 10, 11, and 12, in the first chapter of the first epistle of Peter, of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow, and to whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel. The gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into. [00:00:00]

There are many people, as I was showing, last Sunday night, who won't even consider this message, because they've come to the conclusion that it's just something emotional, sob stuff, dope of the people. There are masses of people who believe that. They've even stopped considering it for that reason. Well, we dealt with that and showed what a terrible, tragic fallacy that is. [00:02:21]

The trouble with the people we are looking at now is this, that they start with a wrong idea and conception with regard to the content of the gospel, as to what it really has to say, and as to what it's about, or if you like, they start with a wrong notion as to what it is to be a Christian. Now, there are so many wrong ideas about this. [00:03:54]

Whatever else Christianity is it is obviously something which calls upon a man to exercise all his powers and especially the greatest of all which is his mind. Gird up the loins of your mind says this man because of all I've been saying. Wherefore in the light of this. [00:10:34]

It's an announcement in the first instance. You know the gospel of Jesus Christ doesn't start by asking us to do something. Before it asks us to do anything at all it tells us something. Listen to Peter ending off this great chapter. He says all flesh is as grass and all the glory of men as the flower of grass. The grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord endureth forever and this is the word which by the grace of God the gospel is preached unto you. It's a message. It's a proclamation. It's good news. [00:11:51]

This Christian faith, this Christian message is not primarily just something which teaches us with regard to what we have to do in order to live a good life or in order to be better. This I say is not primarily a teaching which comes to us telling us how we are to save ourselves. I'll go further. Does this shock anybody? [00:16:20]

The Bible, the theme of the Bible is to tell us, of what God has done in order to deliver us. Of which salvation? Of which deliverance? Of which redemption? Those are the terms that are used. Man, as he is by nature, born into this world, is a creature who needs to be delivered. [00:18:11]

Christianity, my dear friend, is not a philosophy. It isn't. It's not a teaching. It includes that. But it's not merely that. Do you know what Christianity is? Essentially, it is this. It is the report. It is the record of what God has done in time and in history, in events of history, for us and for our salvation. That is Christianity. And that is where it differs essentially from everything that is called religion. [00:32:11]

To believe in God alone doesn't make you a Christian. To believe in God and to live a good life. Why you can do all that without this Christ? What's Christianity? Christianity, by definition, is that which depends entirely, utterly, solely, exclusively upon Christ. This Christ. This person. This deliverer. This Messiah. Christ. Who is he? [00:34:17]

Oh, but it doesn't stop at that. The report doesn't end merely at the babe in Bethlehem. It doesn't stop merely at the young men who worked as a carpenter for all those years there in Nazareth. It includes that, but it doesn't stop there. Indeed, it goes on to tell us that at the age of 30, he went out and began to preach. And he staggered and amazed everybody. Because though he wasn't a Pharisee, had never been to the schools he obviously knew God and the law of God and the word of God better than anybody else he could confound all the doctors of the law even at the age of 12 who is this? [00:36:45]

And to whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven don't leave that out that's absolutely vital it was the last great action the last great act in this series that were essential to salvation and it was the last great act after he had resurrected and appeared for 40 days and had ascended into heaven 10 days after that an amazing thing happened in Jerusalem the disciples and other people numbering 120 altogether were met together in a room praying and suddenly there was a rushing sound as of a mighty wind what was it? the place was filled with the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost was sent down from heaven and as clementines and clementines of fire descended upon the head of the assembled company and they were transformed and transfigured men they spoke with new tongues they had a holy boldness they were afraid of nobody these men who'd been so craven -hearted and spirited before they're absolutely renewed they're filled with power and with authority a man like Peter preaches one day and 3 ,000 people are smitten convicted, converted added to the church become new men and women in Christ Jesus the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven that's one of the facts that's one of the things that we report unto you well let me hurry on you know there's more to come this is why you gird up the loins of your mind all that has happened have you looked into it have you considered it there is yet something to come listen to Peter again in verse 13 wherefore gird up the loins of your mind be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation at the revelation of Jesus Christ I can only mention it he's done all that I've been talking about but he's going to do this other thing he's going to come back into this world not as a babe of Bethlehem this time but as king of kings and lord of lords riding the clouds of heaven surrounded by his holy angels he's coming back to judge the world in righteousness to destroy evil and sin finally to set up the eternal everlasting state and kingdom what is to be revealed unto you at the revelation of Jesus [00:42:20]

Well, because the salvation of men eclipses everything that even God has ever done these angels you know were there at the creation they saw it all they heard the mighty shout let there be light and there was light and they saw it happening. [00:47:01]