![Concerning this salvation the prophets, who prophesied concerning the grace [that was to come] unto you, sought and searched diligently. 1 Pet. 1:10](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Concerning-this-salvation-the-prophets-who-prophesied-concerning-the-grace-that-was-to-come-unto-you-sought-and-searched-diligently-1.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1 "Concerning this salvation the prophets, who prophesied concerning the grace [that was to come] unto you, sought and searched diligently. 1 Pet. 1:10")
The prophets in the Old Testament prophesied concerning the grace that was to come unto us, speaking of the sufferings and glories of Christ; the salvation they prophesied of was the salvation of our souls for us to enter into the joy of the Lord in the kingdom age. Wow!
Grace in Peter’s epistles has many rich and wonderful aspects, for Peter was one who experienced grace to a great extent and in many aspects.
The Christian life is an issue of our enjoyment of God in Christ as grace; only that which comes out of the grace of God is our Christian life and church life.
The issue of our enjoyment of God in Christ as grace is the church as the Body of Christ, the organism of the Triune God to express Him corporately on earth.
On one hand, our Christian life is under the government of God, and everything in our daily life and in the church life is sovereignly arranged by God to deal with us and transform us.
On the other hand, God bountifully and freely gives Himself to us as grace for our enjoyment and experience in God’s economy so that we may have God as our everything for our enjoyment.
As pilgrims and sojourners in this world, we need to realize that, regardless of the situation and environment we’re in, we’re under God’s governmental dealings, and the processed Triune God comes to us to be our grace.
It is through this grace, God in Christ to be enjoyed by us, that we will be perfected, established, strengthened, and grounded by God, after we have suffered a little while. Hallelujah for grace!
According to Peter, this grace is being multiplied to us, and this grace is the full salvation that God wants to give us.
Grace is not something that God would does for us or gives us; grace is the processed and consummated Triune God coming to us to be enjoyed and experienced by us in our daily life so that we may be ministers of the varied grace of God we experience and build up the church as the Body of Christ.
The living produced by the grace we enjoy is a living of enjoying the full salvation of the Triune God.
Yes, outwardly we live in man’s unjust system and in a corrupt and immoral society, but we enjoy grace and take Christ as our model in the days of our sojourning, and we become His duplication by living Him out.
Others see Christ in us being manifested and lived out not because we try hard to express Him or because we do our best to obey the Word of God; Christ is lived out of us as we become His duplication, His reproduction.
The issue of our enjoyment of God as grace is an excellent manner of life that manifests God in our daily living.
Amen, may we continue in the grace, stand in grace, and experience God in Christ as grace day by day!
The Prophets in the Old Testament Prophesied concerning the Grace that was to Come unto Us
![Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation the prophets, who prophesied concerning the grace [that was to come] unto you, sought and searched diligently, Searching into what [time] or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ in them was making clear, testifying beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and the glories after these. To them it was revealed that not to themselves but to you they ministered these things, which have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, which things angels long to look into. 1 Pet. 1:9-12](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Receiving-the-end-of-your-faith-the-salvation-of-your-souls.jpg?resize=450%2C675&ssl=1 "Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation the prophets, who prophesied concerning the grace [that was to come] unto you, sought and searched diligently, Searching into what [time] or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ in them was making clear, testifying beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and the glories after these. To them it was revealed that not to themselves but to you they ministered these things, which have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, which things angels long to look into. 1 Pet. 1:9-12")
In speaking of grace, Peter has a particular utterance in 1 Pet. 1:10, Concerning this salvation the prophets, who prophesied concerning the grace that was to come unto you, sought and searched diligently. Wow!
In this verse the word grace is synonym with the word salvation; in v. 13 it is the same, grace refers to God’s salvation.
What is grace? Grace is not something but a person; grace is the incarnated Word of God who came to tabernacle among us, full of grace and reality, and of His fullness we have received, and grace upon grace (John 1:14, 16).
Also, this grace is something that operates in us to the extent that we are what we are by the grace of God, and when grace doesn’t turn out to be in vain, we labor by the grace of God which is with us (1 Cor. 15:10).
Grace is the resurrected Christ becoming the life-giving Spirit to bring the processed Triune God in resurrection into us to be our life, life-supply, and everything for us to live in resurrection and serve God in resurrection.
Another aspect of grace is “the grace that was to come to us”, referring to the salvation of our souls.
The Spirit of Christ in the Old Testament prophets made them clear concerning Christ coming as grace to us in all the processes He went through.
![But this He said concerning the Spirit, whom those who believed into Him were about to receive; for [the] Spirit was not yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:39 How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Heb. 9:14](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/But-this-He-said-concerning-the-Spirit-whom-those-who-believed-into-Him-were-about-to-receive.jpg?resize=450%2C675&ssl=1 "But this He said concerning the Spirit, whom those who believed into Him were about to receive; for [the] Spirit was not yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:39 How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Heb. 9:14")
They prophesied concerning Christ’s incarnation, His sufferings in His human living and crucifixion, and His glories in His resurrection, ascension, second coming, and reigning for the application of God’s full salvation to us (1 Pet. 1:5, 9-10; see Psa. 22; Isa. 53; Dan. 9:26).
Though the Spirit was not yet – the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the compound Spirit, the all-inclusive, life-giving Spirit was not yet – in the Old Testament, yet the Spirit of Christ was moving in the prophets to make them clear concerning Christ coming as grace and the processes He passed through.
The Spirit of Christ was constituted dispensationally through and with Christ’s death and resurrection in the New Testament time (John 7:39; Rom. 8:9-11); however, the function of the Spirit is eternal because He is the eternal Spirit (Heb. 9:14).
The Old Testament prophets could not fully understand the grace to come, the salvation of our souls, but they sought and searched diligently concerning the salvation of the believers’ souls (1 Pet. 1:9).
This is quite amazing and important to realize, for, in their age, the prophets were the people of God, even the messengers of God, who preached the gospel for the people in that age and also prophesied to us in the age of grace.
The Spirit of Christ applies God’s full salvation as grace to us by two instrumentalities: the prophesying of the Old Testament prophets and the preaching of the New Testament apostles (1 Pet. 1:10-12; cf. Rev. 2:7).
Through both the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles, we get a clear picture of God’s full salvation, and the Spirit of Christ applies this full salvation to our being as we read and pray over the Word of God in its entirety.
Thank You, Lord, for passing through the process of incarnation, human living and crucifixion with their sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension to be the all-inclusive, life-giving Spirit as the grace which is to come. Hallelujah, grace has come: today we can enjoy God in Christ as the Spirit to be our grace for our enjoyment and experience! Keep us enjoying You as grace, dear Lord, until we are fully saved in Your life and we receive the salvation of our souls. Keep applying the grace to our being as we read and pray, muse over, and prayerfully consider and enjoy the prophecies in the Old Testament and the preaching of the apostles in the New Testament.
Christ came to be the Unlimited Grace of God’s full Salvation for the Salvation of our Soul
![His master said to him, Well [done,] good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master...His master said to him, Well [done,] good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master. Matt. 25:21, 23](https://i0.wp.com/www.agodman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/His-master-said-to-him-Well-done-good-and-faithful-slave1.jpg?resize=450%2C675&ssl=1 "His master said to him, Well [done,] good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master...His master said to him, Well [done,] good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master. Matt. 25:21, 23")
The prophets in the Old Testament searched and sought diligently not only concerning Christ and the processes He went through, but even concerning the grace which is to come, the salvation of our soul.
This is grace, and this particular grace refers not only to the enjoyment of the processed Triune God but even more, to the salvation of the believers’ souls.
John in his gospel speaks of the Word becoming flesh, full of grace, and of grace coming through Jesus Christ (John 1:14, 17).
Peter, however, speaks of the grace that is not yet but is to come; this grace was not mentioned in the Old Testament but was prophesied by the prophets, and we are entering into and experiencing this grace in our Christian life.
On one hand, we have already received grace; on the other hand, we are still enjoying grace, experiencing grace, and we will enter into the grace that is to come. Hallelujah for this wonderful grace!
God passed through a process to be able to bring all His believers through the process of God’s full salvation until even their soul is saved.
The Spirit of Christ, in His eternal function, was in the Old Testament prophets, making them clear concerning Christ coming to the New Testament believers.
They prophesied concerning Christ coming to be the all-sufficient and unlimited grace of God’s full salvation to us for our entry into the joy of the Lord in the kingdom age, which is the salvation of our soul (John 1:17; Heb. 10:29; 1 Pet. 1:9; Matt. 25:21, 23).
Wow, what an amazing grace! Grace, on one hand, is God in Christ to be enjoyed by us, and, on the other hand, grace is something we will enter into, something that will come, for the salvation of our soul!
Of this grace Peter speaks in his epistles; what Peter teaches as grace is not the grace that saves our spirit or our body but the grace that saves our soul.
The Lord Jesus spoke of this salvation when He asked, What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul-life? (Mark 8:36)
On one hand, our spirit needs to be saved, and this is by grace; as soon as we open to the Lord, touch Him, and contact Him, we enjoy God as grace in our spirit, and our spirit is saved – our spirit becomes life.
On the other hand, our soul also needs to be saved, and this is the grace that is to come; the more we enjoy God as grace today, the more we will enter into the salvation of our soul, which is grace.
The salvation of our soul is very important, and it is related to grace; the soul needs to be saved, and the salvation of our soul is so important that it’s worthwhile to sacrifice the whole world in order to save our soul.
May we remain in the enjoyment of grace and may we be one with the Lord to speak of this grace which is to come, ministering the different glories of Christ to those around us.
When we preach Christ, the death of Christ, and the different glories of Christ to others, they receive grace, and the Spirit has a way to apply the riches of Christ as grace to their being for the salvation of their soul.
It is not only the apostles who can or should preach, and it is not only the prophets in the Old Testament that could prophesy; we all can speak Christ, preach Christ, and declare the riches of Christ, the processes He went through, the glories He entered into.
When we preach Christ and the processes He went through, the Spirit of Christ applies the riches of Christ and brings others into the enjoyment of grace until they fully enter into the grace to come, the salvation of our soul.
Thank You, dear Lord Jesus, for coming to us as grace for our enjoyment. Hallelujah, God is in Christ to be enjoyed by us for the salvation of our spirit and for the salvation of our soul! Thank You for coming to be the all-sufficient and unlimited grace of God’s full salvation for us to enter into the joy of the Lord in the coming age! Keep us receiving, enjoying, and experiencing You as grace until we fully enter into the joy of the Lord in the kingdom age, the salvation of our soul! Amen, Lord, may our daily life be a life in and by grace, and may our daily living be filled with the enjoyment and experience of Christ as grace. Flow into us as grace and flow out of us to others through words of grace to bring them into the process of God’s full salvation to receive the salvation of their souls!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Sources of inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by the brothers, and portions from, Life-study of 1 Peter, msgs. 1-2, 7-9 (by Witness Lee), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, The Grace of God in the Economy of God (2021 International Chinese-speaking Conference), week 4, entitled, Grace in Peter’s Epistles.
- Hymns on this topic:
– That which for long the prophets sought, / The righteous yearned to see, / Has in these last of days appeared / In its reality. / And we’re now in the final stages, / ’Tis the completion of all the ages. / All those who believed the promise / Are perfected now in us. (Hymns #1319)
– This is He whom they in old time / Chanted of with one accord, / Whom the voices of the prophets / Promised in their faithful word; / Now He shines, the long-expected; / Let creation praise its Lord, / Evermore and evermore. (Hymns #60)
– Saved to the uttermost, I am the Lord’s; / Jesus my Savior salvation affords; / Gives me His Spirit a witness within, / Whisp’ring of pardon, and saving from sin. / Saved, saved, saved to the uttermost: / Saved, saved by power divine; / Saved, saved, I’m saved to the uttermost; / Jesus the Savior is mine! (Hymns #315)
