“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy birthed us from above into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, into an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, being kept in the heavens into us who by the power of God are being guarded through faith, into a deliverance to be uncovered in the last time.”(personal translation)1 Peter 1:3-5
“…into a deliverance to be uncovered in the last time.” This last section of the greeting is relating all of the above benefits to what will happen at the very end of the age. The word I translated “deliverance” is what we normally translate “salvation.” The one word in the Greek has both meanings + several others. All the concepts rolled into one word. We often associate “salvation” as our initial experience in Christ and our on-going reality in Him. While that is so, the meaning here is looking toward the end of our time, as being a time when there is more revelation and still more revelation unfolding.
Salvation is complete and its results continue through out the ages, whatever they may be. Yet at the end, there is more to be “seen” about it all. Christ has completed the work, but not all of what He did is fully revealed at this point in time – there is more to be seen and understood. This statement is to encourage Peter’s readers, because the next few statements speak of their need for endurance at this point in time, but there is more to be revealed in Him.
“You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to be distressed by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith – more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:6-8 HCSB
I just want us to see that there is always more. We will work with the passage above on another day. Today be encouraged – there’s more – there’s always more!
Mannaword 