◄ What Does 1 Peter 1:21 Mean? ►

Never diminish the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, for it is ONLY by faith in Him that we are redeemed from the slave-market of sin. Only by faith in the sacrificial death of the Son of God, can our sins be forgiven and eternal life received. And that faith includes Christ rising from the dead.. for it is only because of His glorious resurrection from the dead, that we have the unshakable assurance that our bodies will also be raised to life immortal.

It is through faith in Christ that we are called believers in God. It is not sufficient to believe in the historical Jesus. We are to believe in the sacrificial offering of Himself on the Cross.. for He is the SON that was given.. the CHILD that was born.

He is the Light of the world and the Door of the sheepfold, into life eternal. Only those who enter the fold through faith in HIM will discover He is the good Shepherd, Who leads us by still waters, restores our soul, and satisfies us with good things. Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life eternal.. and NO-ONE comes to God the Father except through God the Son - by the power of God the Holy Spirit.

Only in Him are we justified freely by His grace and given access to the heavenly Throne of God. Only in Him can we gain peace with God, be clothed in Christ's righteousness, and discover the peace of God that passes understanding. He alone will protect us from the wrath to come for He alone conquered death and hell at the Cross forever - and only through faith in HIM, will this mortal put on immortality and this corruptible body be clothed in an incorruptible resurrection.

We were not redeemed from our futile life with perishable things like silver or gold. We were saved with the precious blood of the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world - through His death on the Cross. He is the same Lamb on the throne, Who unseals the seven-sealed scroll that sets in motion the final act in God's eternal plan of redemption.

It is the unblemished and spotless blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world. He was born into His own creation for our sake - so that by faith in HIM we might be imputed with Christ's righteousness and justified in the eyes of God. It is His glorious resurrection that gained victory over death and hell. Faith in Him alone secures the promised hope of our bodily resurrection and life with Him in the heavenly realm.

Christ shed His blood for our sin... but His resurrection from the dead, in a body of flesh and bone, is our assurance that we too will rise into life immortal. We will also receive a body of flesh and bone, a body like HIS glorious Body. We were not redeemed with perishable things light silver or gold. We were bought with a price - the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

We are bone of Christ's resurrected Bone and we are flesh of His resurrected Flesh. Without Christ's resurrection, we would be forgiven of our sin but remain in the grave. But Christ has been raised from the dead, never to die again - and we are raised into newness of life in HIM.

Although death was brought into this world through a man who sinned, it was also through the MAN Who did not sin that resurrection from the dead was secured for all who would believe. Just as our identity with Adam ensures we will die, so all who are identified with Christ, by faith, will be made alive. He is the first fruits of those who are asleep... and because of our position in Christ, we can shout, victoriously "O DEATH where is your sting NOW?"

No surprise that Peter wrote, "through HIM we are believers in God who are redeemed. Through HIM we are believers in God the Father, Who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory -  so that our faith and hope are in God, Who raised Christ from the dead."

The Lord Jesus was raised back to life and ascended into heaven to take back the glory He set aside when He came to earth as the Messiah of Israel and Redeemer of the world. God has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name above every other name, that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW. All in heaven will bow before Him. Those on earth will bow and those under the earth will pay Him homage - without exception.

God determined, at the beginning, that MAN would have dominion over this earth. And when Christ ascended into the heavenly heights, it was a MAN Who was seated at the right hand of God - the Son of Man, Who is God the Son.

Humanity's appointed position as God's Regent over His creation was restored, when Christ sat down at the right hand of the Father. And He is coming back to rule and reign on earth in righteousness and truth - just as God created man to do in the beginning.

No wonder that Paul was able to confirm that "our faith and hope are in God." Our faith in Christ rests on the Word of God for we trust the promises He has given, which are  'YES' and 'AMEN' in Christ.

Our blessed Hope rests on JESUS, the Author and Finisher of our faith - Who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Heavenly Father, how I praise and glorify Your holy name that it is through faith in JESUS, that we are saved from the slave-market of sin. Thank You that You raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory and honour. Keep me ever mindful of the tremendous work that Christ did on the Cross, so that by faith in Him I am now bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh and remain secure in Him through time and into the eternal ages to come. Thank You in Jesus' name, AMEN.