Swept Away by Grace- A Study in I Peter (part 9)—Firm Foundation-now and for Eternity
Peter has been confirming and reminding the people of the marvelous wonder of the grace they have been given. Grace which reaches out, takes hold, and transforms lives. He realizes that there is a truth which they must also know—a truth without which grace has no significance. That truth is that God is a righteous and just God as well. For that reason, he refers back to Isaiah where it was written: (Isaiah 28) “16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lay in Zion a stone, a[q]tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. He that believeth, [r]shall not make haste. 17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. “Judgment will come—that is a certainty and judgment will pour out from heaven only that which mankind deserves as a result of his rebellious and self-absorbed heart. Many who built their lives on their own “self-righteousness” and on anything other than the truth of the gospel will watch their lives crumble beneath the hailstorms that try the faith.
portrait used by permission of Ronald Barba who owns the copyright. Please click on the picture if you wish to obtain information on purchasing
Christ is the only foundation on which we may build that will stand when the trials of our faith come on the earth. Furthermore, when we stand before Him in judgment all our humans works and wisdom will be burned away; yet, our salvation will stand firm only if we have built upon the foundational stone of Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 3: 9-15). For all who have not believed on Jesus Christ, there is no foundation and they will be eternally condemned—by their own choice to have denied the only means of righteousness that was purchased at a great price to the Father and Son.
In our darkest moments we cannot even fathom the depth of suffering that Christ bore for us—the sacrifice to have left His heavenly home with the Father to walk on this earth among us, to be rejected when He knew He was man’s only hope, and to take upon Himself all our sins—being for that moment the object of all of God the Father’s wrath against sin. All alone for the first time in all of eternity separated from the love of His Father and the Holy Spirit, He bore that shame while knowing all He had to do was speak and a legion of angels would come to comfort Him—but mankind would have no hope of salvation—so He bore the pain. We can never understand the depth of that suffering.
Now, because of that Grace—we the Gentile nation were called forth also to be among the elect of God. Rejoice, if you know Him. Rejoice, and lay aside all your worldly wisdom. Rejoice, if you have tasted of His goodness. The world can never understand the joy that fills the heart of a Christian in the midst of all the sorrow that surrounds. The world can never understand the peace that secures the heart of a Christian even in the moments of their greatest trial. The world can never understand the comforting whispers of God that fills the lonely heart in the middle of their darkest night when they know they are not alone, for the Almighty Creator is with them. Our foundation is firm and will stand not only on this earth; but, also on judgment day. Are you beginning to understand the magnitude of Grace? Now read what Peter wrote:
I Peter 2 (GNV) “6 [h]Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I put in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect and precious, and he that believeth therein, shall not be ashamed.7 [i]Unto you therefore which believe, it is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,8 And a stone to stumble at, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, unto the which thing they were even ordained.9 [j]But ye are a chosen generation, a royal Priesthood, an holy nation, a people set at liberty, that ye should show forth the virtues of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,10 Which in time past were not a people, yet are now the people of God: which in time past were not under mercy, but now have obtained mercy”
So, if you know Christ as your Savior, sing with me Firm Foundation.
If you do not know Christ, I urge you to ask Him into your heart. There is a page on how to be saved on this website. Or you may contact me through comments or via email. Or ask God to lead you to Him—first is seeing that you desire Him.
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
© 2014 Effie Darlene Barba
Artwork is used with written permission of Ronald Barba who owns the copyright. His work can be found at: http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/ronald+barba/all
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to any brands, products or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides regarding the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”