receiving the culmination of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
Truth to Learn
Faith in the blood of Jesus Christ as payment for your sins guarantees the salvation of your soul.
Behind the Words
The word “receiving” is translated from a form of komidzō, which means “to bring” or “to receive.” It is expressed here in the middle voice, which in Greek means an action that is done by the subject of the verb to itself. Hence, here it means “receiving to yourself …”
The Greek word translated “culmination” is telos, which properly means “the point aimed at” and by implication means the “conclusion,” “culmination,” or “ultimate result.”
Meaning Explained
This verse ties back to the last part of verse 7, “the appearing of Jesus Christ.” If you look at the key verbs that follow this phrase you find, “having not seen,” “believing,” and “receiving.” If we consider these together we can see what Peter is saying regarding the coming of Jesus Christ. Even though we have not seen Him, we believe in Him, and will, as the final result of that faith, obtain salvation. Here Peter tells us that the ultimate result of our faith will culminate in the salvation of our souls.
In a positional sense, we have already received salvation, that is, in God’s record book we are already marked as righteous (saved). But, that salvation isn’t fully consummated until He comes back to take us home. At the rapture of the church, the salvation of our souls will be completed when we receive our immortal bodies:
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1Corinthians 15:51-54a)
This concludes Peter’s first lesson for us: we rejoice in the trials which refine and purify our faith because it is that faith which guarantees our salvation which will be received at the coming of Jesus.
What Peter is not saying in this passage is that we have to “keep our faith and not lose it” because he already made it abundantly clear that we were chosen to salvation by God Himself and the preponderance of scriptural evidence makes it very clear that He will not lose us. For example, Jesus said:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and the Father are one." (John 10:27)
Application
If your church has taught you that you can lose your salvation through willful sin, a cardinal sin, or the unpardonable sin, let me ease your mind. The writings of the New Testament, including the testimony of Christ Himself, make it clear that no one can take that salvation from you (not even you)!
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved