◄ What Does 1 Peter 1:9 Mean? ►

The moment that we trusted Christ as Saviour, the salvation of our spirit, soul, and body was eternally secure in Him. From that point onward we are: "Accepted by God in the Beloved." This is not because of our own good works, meritorious deeds, legalistic rituals, or the sacrifices that we have made. We are accepted by God simply and exclusively because of Christ's offering of Himself at Calvary as the Lamb of God, unblemished and spotless.

How we praise and thank our Heavenly Father for the great mercy that we have received salvation by grace through trusting in Jesus as Saviour. How precious to know that by His death and Resurrection we have been born into His family and have obtained the secure knowledge that we have an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, will never fade away, and which is kept for us in heaven.

The guaranteed outcome of our faith in Christ is the salvation of our spirit, our soul, and our body. The salvation of our physical body is still future and will take place when we are raptured or resurrected from the dead. This physical salvation will take place just before the Tribulation period: "The dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall ever be with the Lord." For this perishing, mortal body must be clothed in immortality, and this will happen in the twinkling of an eye at the end of the Church Age.

Our 'dead' human spirit was made alive at our rebirth, returning us into sweet fellowship with our Heavenly Father. At the same time, our faith in Christ secured the salvation of our soul, and we were made a new creation in Christ and given His resurrected life (our new life in Christ), so that instead of following the lust of the flesh we were enabled to walk in newness of life, with the indwelling Holy Spirit as our Comforter and Counsellor, our Guide and Teacher.

But although the salvation of our soul was secured at rebirth, it is necessary for us to grow in grace, to mature in the faith, and to become fruitful to the glory of God. Although the salvation of our soul was secured the moment we trusted Christ as Saviour, we can resist the work of the Holy Spirit and even quench His work in our life, meaning that we remain in spiritual infancy throughout our whole Christian life.

Our eternal salvation does not rely on what we do for God, but on what Christ did for us on the Cross. Such sacrificial love demands our complete and undivided love, not as a legalistic requirement but as our own, pure love-offering to the One Who was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and Who willingly bore the punishment on the Cross for our sins.

Christ's finished work on the Cross demands our everlasting thanks and praise, for although we have not seen Him, we love Him and greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, knowing that it is through Him alone that we have obtained: "As the outcome of our faith, the salvation of our soul."

Heavenly Father, thank You that in Christ, I have all that I need for life and godliness. I pray that You would help me to keep the eyes of my heart looking away from the things of this world and firmly looking to Jesus. May I never become spiritually short-sighted and forget all that Christ has done for me, but become increasingly fruitful in the knowledge of my Saviour, Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.