In Trent Moody's sermon 'The Elect's Glorious Salvation pt. 2,' based on 1 Peter 1:3-12, he discusses the profound nature of Christian salvation, emphasizing the joy and hope it brings despite life's trials. Moody explains that the salvation received through Jesus Christ is a living hope, incorruptible and reserved in heaven, and is kept by God's power. He highlights the purifying role of trials, asserting that they are temporary, needful, and ultimately serve to strengthen faith, which is more precious than gold. The sermon emphasizes the importance of rejoicing in salvation and recognizing it as a gift that produces joy even amidst afflictions. Moody also discusses the mysterious and glorious nature of this salvation, noting that even prophets and angels longed to understand it fully. He encourages believers to focus on the promises of God rather than worldly troubles, urging them to appreciate the salvation they possess and to live in a manner worthy of the gospel.

I'm gonna pick up with verse three for context. And so let's begin in verse three, reading through verse 12. First Peter chapter one, verse three. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, Though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ whom having not seen you love though now you do not see him yet believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating, when he testified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that not to themselves but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Things which angels desire to look into." Let us pray. Our gracious Heavenly Father, we have read of your abundant mercy. Lord, we come acknowledging this morning that we needed such abundant mercy because of our abundant sin.

And Lord we come this morning not with a dead hope and a dead Savior but Lord we come with a living hope and a living Savior who has given us a glorious gospel and a glorious salvation, Lord, that we should behold the glory of our God. And so Lord, I pray today that your word, Lord, it would change us. Help us, Lord, to see our afflictions as blessings, Lord, because it makes us more like Christ and more fit for your great reward that we have reserved in heaven because we are kept by your power. We rejoice not in the strength of our arm or in the strength of our faith, we rejoice in the strength of our Savior who saves us, who justifies us and sanctifies us and glorifies us. And we praise your name this morning.

Amen. You may be seated. I'm so appreciative to the songs that we sang this morning and really to the world that last stanza there that we sing with joy afflicted one. That is an oxymoron to the world. That makes no sense whatsoever.

Sing with joy, afflicted one. This morning I want us to pick back up in 1st Peter beginning in verse 6. I read through it from verse 3 on just to bring back because it's been a few weeks I wanted to bring back to your mind what we had learned about the elect's glorious salvation the salvation that God has ordained and God has orchestrated for our good and for his glory And as we go right on through this is really just part two of that same message. And we'll pick up in verse 6. And so as we learned a few weeks ago that we have this glorious salvation that compels us to praise God because we have seen and received abundant mercy.

We have been born again to a living hope. We have a living Savior. We have a promise of a heavenly inheritance and we are kept by that power of God and we have a promise and a hope of the revealing of our salvation. And this week I want us to consider the second part of this message that Peter has for these scattered pilgrims, these people who had been scattered abroad throughout this region, and Peter wanting to encourage them and to instruct them in how to view that which they are going through. I mean, that is really often our question, is it not?

How do we interpret what we are going through? One man can go through a trial and he can sing with joy as an afflicted one. He becomes better through the affliction. Another man without Christ will go through a trial or a difficulty and become hardened to God and blame God and thinks that he deserves better. The Christian understands that he deserves worse and all that he has received is a mercy of God.

And so we look at that this morning. So number one, I want us to understand it is a glorious salvation that God will purify through trials. It is a glorious salvation that God will purify through trials. But he picks up in that very first part of verse 6 continuing this thought and he says this, in this you greatly rejoice. Now he goes back to that because he had just explained to them this glorious salvation that God had just brought upon them.

So what is it that he's greatly rejoicing in? It's the former statement of the salvation of God's people and it is a glorious expectation of their future hope that will be revealed. Brothers and sisters, the wonder and glory and glorious nature of our salvation should produce in us such great rejoicing. It should produce in us a heart that sings to God. Even though our lips may not be singing our hearts are professing praise to God as we consider what he has done for us.

This word literally means to jump for joy it means to exult to be exceedingly glad with exceeding joy rejoicing greatly. It conveys the idea of jubilant expectation and of spiritual gladness. Matthew 5, 11 mentions this same idea as well. Matthew 5 11, blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evils against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you this was the Lord's command to his disciples and this is also the word used to describe Jesus's response to the Father's wisdom in the Gospel of Luke and in chapter 10 verse 21 and he says this, in that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, same idea there, and said I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou has hidden these things from the wise and the prudent, and have revealed them unto babes, even so, Father, so it seemed good in thy sight." So I think that the reason that we do not rejoice appropriately is because we do not fully understand just how glorious our salvation is that we actually possess.

We have, I believe that we have got so consumed with our present worldly condition and that we are so preoccupied with the things of this world that our bills and our responsibilities, our plans, our troubles, our worries, our sicknesses, our challenges, our pains, all of these things, they blind our eyes and they dim our senses. These worldly troubles rob us of the joy because we do not see through the clouded sky to the sun that is shining in his glory. So just stop a minute and remember that Peter is writing this to a various group of dispersed and persecuted believers who are now living in a foreign land. Now these truths regarding our salvation are so glorious that Peter fully anticipated that they in their condition would be greatly rejoicing. Sing with joy afflicted one.

That's really what he's saying to these people. That song conveys it so well. Sing with joy afflicted one knowing whom they have believed. That is they would be exceedingly glad they would be exuberantly jubilant in the truth of their salvation because their focus, their vision did not end at death. Their vision went beyond the grave and they could see the promises of God by faith.

Put down our phones, turn off the news, and be quiet before the Lord and consider what the great God has done. I really believe that we fully have the, we do not fully have the capacity to understand the gloriousness and the fullness of our salvation until we reach that land and we see with eyes not of faith but we see with eyes and we see the salvation that is right before us and we experience the glorification that God has promised us in which he says in Romans chapter 8 that is past tense. Those he justified or whom he justified those he glorified. It is as if it is already accomplished and in fact it is. God has already accomplished all of his people's glorification.

It is accomplished. A clear understanding of our salvation would cure us of joylessness. It would cure us of lack of praise. It would cure us of prayerlessness. It would cure us from all of these things that rob the glory that God deserves.

Have you ever considered that you are robbing God of praise? When we focus on our troubles more than we focus on his exceedingly great and precious promises, we rob him of praise. Can we not as with the psalmist praise him psalm 117 says oh praise the Lord all your nations praise him all you people for his merciful kindness is great towards us and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Praise you the Lord. Psalm 100 make a joyful shout to the Lord all you lands serve the Lord with gladness come before his presence with singing know that the Lord he is God it is he who has made us and not we ourselves we are his people we are the sheep of his pasture enter into his gates with Thanksgiving and into his courts with praise.

Be thankful to him. Bless his name for the Lord is good and his mercy is everlasting and his truth endures to all generations. Can you not praise him this morning? Psalm 34. I will bless the Lord at all times.

His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear thereof and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together." These were written by the psalmist. The man who experienced many trials and many difficulties as all men do.

So let us consider now that our glorious salvation is not without God ordained trials. Peter was not giving them the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel. He was giving them the trials and tribulation and persecution gospel which everyone should receive. You need to count the cost of following Christ. There is joy unspeakable and full of glory and there are persecutions and trials that will seem to take you to your knees.

It is both. But the God who is there with you on your knees is the God who gives his Spirit to give you joy in the midst of those afflictions. That is the God we serve. God ordained these trials and he specifically brings them into our lives for purpose. And just like our brother said this morning our salvation is not a once-and-done thing we are we have been saved from the penalty of our sin we are being saved from the power of sin and we will be saved from the presence of sin.

Justification, sanctification, and glorification, a gospel that only focuses on one is a partial gospel. It is a full gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and how he sanctifies us and he uses trials to do it. Read the Bible. Every man of God and every woman of God went through these same things. Why?

Because God ordained these things and what God ordains as we're just saying is always good. It's always good. Let us consider Thomas Watson. He says this, the wisdom of God is seen in making the most desperate evils turn to the good of his children. As several poison ingredients wisely tempered by the skill of an artist makes a sovereign medicine so God makes the most deadly afflictions cooperate for the good of his children He purifies them and prepares them for heaven.

These hard frosts hasten the spring flowers of glory. The wise God by divine chemistry turns afflictions into cordials. He makes his people gainers by losses and he turns their crosses into blessings. Think of this. This is what our all-wise God does through trials.

This is what he says, in this you greatly rejoice though now for a little while if need be you have been grieved by various trials. Can anybody testify to that? Though now if need be you have been greed by various trials. I think we have all experienced this. I want to notice five things here that he mentions.

Some are encouraging and some are a little bit not encouraging or discouraging. So let's look at this. Number one, they're temporary. He says this, though now for a little while. You know whenever I feel a sickness coming on, maybe the flu or something like that, I understand this is going to be temporary.

And as awful as I feel during that time, I'm thinking in my mind, just a couple more days and Lord willing this will be over. That's how we view our trials that we face, these difficulties that we face. Think of them as temporary. That's encouraging. They will be either temporary in this life or they will be temporary because this life is temporary and you will be in glory away from all trials and persecutions and temptations and all sin and it will be glory.

It will be glory. So it is temporary. Trials, the trials that we face, though they may seem long to us, are however only a little while in light of eternity. In eternity we will not think for a moment, boy that was a long trial. We won't consider that.

No, we'll look back on that as but a blip if we even remember it. I think we'll remember it just because we'll understand that's what it took to make me more like Christ and fit for heaven. That is what God used to make me fit for heaven. This second one always fascinates me. They're needful.

They're needful. Boy preach this in any modern church of today and tell them that trials are needful. They would reject that doctrine right off the bat but that is what the Apostle Peter says, if need be. Did you know that if you're experiencing a trial in your life right now, there is a need behind it? There is a need in your life, there may be a need in your spouse's life, there may be a need in your children's life, there may be a need in the church's life.

It is a needful thing that you are going through it. So whatever this trial that you are facing right now, there is a purpose of God in it and it is for the good of your soul. It is bringing about sanctification. It may be producing patience in you. It may be producing a greater love in you.

It may be producing a greater faith in you. There are so many things that God does through trials and he brings these things about because there is a need. Our great God sees and understands our needs so much better than you do. You don't understand them and you may never understand them, just settle that in your mind. You may not understand it.

We think we need things, food, water, shelter, clothing, a new house, nice car, new shirt, nice dress, whatever it may be we think these are needs but God understands however when God sees our needs he sees not our physical although he does consider that but his great concern is the spiritual need and the purifying of our faith. That is what we need. John Newton who wrote Amazing Grace once wrote, God could have overruled every difficulty in your way had he seen it expedient. But he is pleased to show you that you depend not upon men, but upon God himself, and that notwithstanding your situation may exclude you from some advantages in point of outward means, he who has begun a good work in you is able to carry it on in defiance of all seeming hindrances and make all things even those which have the most unfavorable appearances, work together for your good." Think of that As he said there at the first part, God could have overruled every difficulty in your life if he had seen it expedient. If you are experiencing it, know that it is expedient for you to suffer this trial, whatever it may be, and God will use it for your good and for his glory.

Rest there, dear child of God, rest there. Rest as a child of God, knowing that your father has all things under his control and not one thing enters your life that does not first filter through the love of God and for his glory. Remember that. Number three, we see this a little bit more negatively, they are grievous. They are grievous.

He says, though now for a little while if need be you have been grieved. I don't stand here this morning and say don't grieve. I don't have the authority to say that. I have the authority to say that you will be grieved. You will experience grief in this life.

It is assured. Literally to be put to grief. Now this begs the question, how can a Christian greatly rejoice while being at the same time grieved? Just like we sing. Sing with joy afflicted one.

Well the answer I believe is seen by example in the life of Paul and Silas just as an example here. First I want you to turn to Philippians chapter 1. Go ahead and turn over there. Philippians chapter 1 and verse 27 through 30. I wanna give you a biblical example of this played out for us so that we can see it.

Philippians 1.27, reading through 30. He says, only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel and not in any way terrified by your adversaries which is to them a proof of perdition but to you of salvation and that from God for you that for to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him but also to suffer for his sake having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear you hear that it is in me. Now turn over to Acts chapter 16 and we will get some context. Acts 16 and verse 16. Acts 16 verse 16.

I tell you what I'm going to skip down just a little bit. This is about the slave girl that was possessed and she was aggravating Paul. So let's jump down to say verse 20 just for time's sake. Magistrate and said, these men being Jews exceedingly trouble our city and they teach customs which are not lawful for us to not lawful for us being Romans to receive or observe. Then the multitude rose up together against them and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods and when they had laid many stripes on them they threw them into the inner prison commanding the jailer to keep them securely having received such a charge he put them into the inner prison and fasten their feet in stocks." Verse 25.

But that divine conjunction. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. Now if that would have been me I'd probably been praying and complaining to God. But these men found joy in their affliction And the Philippians that he wrote there just in the book of Philippians, he wrote to them saying these things that you see in me know that these are granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him. Did you know that you are being granted a gift of suffering for Christ?

I'm not talking about suffering for your sin. You can take full credit for that. Suffering for your sin is on you. You can give God the glory when you suffer for the cause of Christ because it has been granted to you. That's a gift.

Who thinks of a trial as a gift? It is. It is the gift of God. Not only that, we need to understand that joy is nurtured from within by the grace of God and not quenched from without by the trials of this life. Matthew Henry says this, they sang praises to God.

This is regarding Philippians one. They praised God, or excuse me, Acts 16. They praised God for we must in everything give thanks. We never lack matter for praise. We, If we do not lack a heart, think about that, we never lack matter to praise.

If we do not lack the heart. And what should put the heart of the child of God out of tune for this duty. If a dungeon and a pair of stocks will not do it, they praise God that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name and that they were so wonderfully supported and born up under their sufferings and felt divine consolation so sweet, so strong in their souls. Nay, they not only praise God, but they sang praises to God in some Psalms and hymns or spiritual songs, either one of David's Psalms or some other hymn that they sang or of one of their own as the Spirit gave them utterance. They did not lack a heart to praise God.

Fourthly, in these sub points here about persecutions or trials, these various trials, they're multi-faceted. They're multi-colored, if you will. The word various here has the idea of various sorts, almost like Joseph's coat of many colors. It is of various colors. The trials that you face will be multi-faceted.

They're not all going to be the same. Yours will not look like mine. In fact, they will most likely be different but some of you will struggle with the same thing I struggle with but some of you won't. And not only will it be one thing but it can be many things. The Word here wants us to understand that the trial will not, your trial will not necessarily look the same even throughout your life.

One trial often breeds others. Nevertheless, be assured that your trials are determined and designed by a loving Heavenly Father specifically ordained for you. The fact is your trial would not fit me for sanctification the way it does you. God knows what I need to sanctify me. God knows what you need to sanctify you.

Some of you would laugh at my trial and you think, what's the big deal? To me it about kills me. And vice versa. And Fifthly under this point, they are purifying. Notice what he says, that the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire.

Notice that little word that. This is what the whole story revolves around in a sense, and it is the purpose and the reason for the trial. Therefore, the purpose of our trial is so that the genuineness of your faith will be made known. Have you ever noticed that the things that we deemed of highest importance is not what God deems of highest importance? We strive for comfort.

What is that thermometer set on anyway? It is just right. Thank you, Al. Sorry, some of you are like, no way, it's freezing in here. We strive for happiness.

We strive for peace and accomplishments, but really the Lord is all about the purifying of your faith. He is all about increasing your love. He is all about filling you with joy. And I set that in stark contrast from you seeking happiness. Your joy is based upon what you know to be true about God.

It is a work of God in your heart through the power of the Holy Spirit that helps you to sing with joy while you're being afflicted in the flesh. This is what God does. He is all about the purifying of your faith. We think that peaceful circumstances will make us joyful, but the Lord ordained trials for that. Do you see how God's ways are not our ways?

You see, the Lord ordains trials to purify your faith which in turn will make you joyful when your faith is pure. Truly God's ways are not ours. It has been said by Thomas Boston, the afflictions of serious Christians are designed for the trial of their faith. God's design in afflicting his people is their probation not their destruction, their advantage not their ruin. A trial as the word signifies and it is an experiment or a search made upon a man by some affliction to prove the value and strength of his faith.

The purpose of testing of our faith is then not that God may know. Did God not know Abraham? It was so that Abraham would know Abraham and it purified his faith. The trial removes the dross and all that is in us that is not beneficial for our spiritual well-being. Now your faith is much more precious than gold that perishes.

Who wouldn't like to have some gold right now? You know, we see that as a hedge against what's coming. You know, we look at financial ruin or we look at inflation and we look at all these things and boy just to have some physical gold to be a hedge against some destruction that may be coming. But I want you to know that this morning there is a greater hedge than gold. The greatest hedge is your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and understanding that that upon that object of faith, Jesus Christ and him alone is your only hedge for the destruction that is coming to every one of you who have not professed faith in Christ and repented of your sins.

That is the only hedge that will save you from the wrath to come. Trust in Christ. Put all of your hope and faith in him. Thomas Boston says the truth is the crook in the lot or I like how he terms it the crook in the lot or the affliction in your life is the great engine of providence for making men appear in their true colors. Let that sink in.

Discovering both their ill and their good and if the grace of God is in them it will bring it out and cause it to display itself. If so it so puts the Christian to his shifts that however it makes him stagger for a while, yet it will at length evidence both the reality and the strength of that grace that is in you. You are in heaviness through manifold temptations that the trial of your faith being much more precious than that of gold that perishes may be found unto praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. It is interesting because this purifying of our faith will be found to praise and honor and glory when Christ is revealed. And I don't think that is so much and I think it's maybe a little bit of both.

Will we be praying, is this talking about us, We are going to receive praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ? Or will Christ receive praise and honor and glory at his revelation? And I'll say yes. We will receive the crown of life, which we as the 24 elders in the book of Revelation will continually throw down before the throne. Because the only reason that we have endured the infliction and the trial of our fate.

The only reason that we have endured is because he has kept us by his power and we will give him all praise and honor and glory forever and ever. He is the one that holds us and sustains us by his glorious power and all praise will go to God to whom it rightly belongs. Secondly verses 8 and 9 I want us to consider it is a glorious salvation that is founded on faith in Christ alone. It is founded upon faith in Christ alone. Look with me verse 8, whom having not seen you love, though now you do not see him, yet believing you rejoice with joy and expressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

In verse 8 and 9 Peter, he really causes the reader to turn their eyes away from their trials and back to the point of their trials. Notice what he does here. He tells you about this you're gonna have a trial for a little while if need be, you're grieved and it's various and all of these things but then once he speaks about the revelation of Jesus Christ all eyes to him All eyes to what Christ is doing, the object of our faith. And we look to that and he turns their attentions there. And when Peter mentions the revelation of Jesus, all thoughts are projected upon that object of faith.

Christ himself. Though the object of their faith was unseen to them by the physical eye, yet their love nevertheless was not diminished. It was not diminished because they had not seen. For we walk by faith and not by sight. Notice them whom having not seen you love though now you do not see him yet believing you rejoice with joy and expressible and full of glory.

John 20, verse 29, Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have believed. Hebrews 6, 11, but without faith, it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. It is Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith which produces rejoicing and joy inexpressible in our hearts. In other words the joy that these believers felt was such that words were inadequate to describe.

It was what does he say Though now you do not see him yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible. Try to explain the joy that you have to an unbeliever about what God is doing in your heart. It's just like I just can't explain it. You just, if you only knew, try to explain the beauty of a rainbow to a blind man, what words would you use to the man born blind? It's blue, it's green, it's red, it's purple.

He has no context for what you're talking about. Neither do lost people. They have no context to understand the joy that you do have because of the object of your faith that you've never seen. But yet not seeing, we believe. And we love Him whom we have not seen and He is a rewarder of those.

You see through this faith they not only received a present blessing. They received a future reward. Receiving the end of your faith. Faith comes to that end. Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

The greatest of these is love. Faith, my friend, will be turned to sight. You will see what you've been longing for. You will see what you've been hoping for. Your hope, it will diminish.

It will be gone. Who hopes for what he sees? It's right here, you possess that which God has given to you and your faith and hope will come to an end and your love will continue and your glory and rejoicing in the Lord Jesus Christ will continue forever and ever. The crown of that believer's aim is for the salvation of their souls. This, Peter says, we are receiving even now as we believe in Christ.

Salvation's culmination will be fully received in heaven, but it is daily received through faith now. We are being saved even now as we will one day be fully saved even then. And third and lastly in verses 10 through 12 he says I want you to think on this point, it is a salvation that is mysterious and glorious and wonderful to behold. Look with me. Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when he testified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

Think of this, it was even mysterious to the prophets who wrote it. Now I want to be careful here, I'm not talking about some mystical thing like Gnosticism, I'm talking about the mystery of the revealing of the gospel throughout the ages. Eventually Paul even speaks about this mystery in Ephesians chapter 3 where he says this great mystery are the Gentiles becoming a part of God's people. It's a great mystery. They didn't fully understand that.

But all of God's salvation and salvific plan was a mystery even to the prophets who wrote it they did not fully have a comprehension of what they wrote. Peter wanted this scattered group of persecuted believers to understand that this glorious salvation that he is writing about is not something new but it is the same salvation that has been written about even into the Old Testament prophets whom they had read. Even those who wrote this glorious salvation searched diligently and inquired what is this? When? Don't you think when they read or when Isaiah wrote Isaiah 53, what does this mean?

Suffering servant? God is going to be pleased to crush him? What does this mean? He didn't fully understand and the Ethiopian eunuch didn't either. Until Philip came along and he explained to him and now he had the interpretive key Christ Christ had come and so he explained to him all of the glories of Christ and how he fulfilled all of these things how useful is the Old Testament in us to understand all the glories of the gospel.

Even those who wrote it didn't fully grasp all that it was, how God was going to save his people through the suffering and death of the Messiah. The prophets did not fully understand this and Peter writes of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully they were studiers of the word of God just think about that for a minute these prophets wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and then they searched their own and the others writings of the other prophets trying to understand about the sufferings of Christ and when this would happen. These wise men searched carefully. They made diligent effort to understand the glorious gospel. Have you?

What are you doing with all that God has given you? The prophets did not have all of this. What are you doing with the glorious gospel? Are you searching carefully? Are you diligently seeking?

You have it right in your hand. You have it in your hand. What are you doing with the glorious gospel that is being laid out before you? Wise men throughout the ages gave all that they possessed and gave of their time to possess that which you have in your hand. Why?

Why did they do this? Because this salvation was glorious. It is the salvation of God. It is his redemptive purpose. They had found the pearl of great price and sold all they had to possess it.

And you must do the same. I fear that because we have this word so readily available that we do not consider its value. You know just right now when we see commodities up and down and we see a lack of one thing, what happens? The price goes up on the other and it fluctuates. And it's almost as if before God's people had the word, it was of such immense value, they were shedding their blood to write it into their own language.

And now every one of us have it right here and we rarely read it. We should consider these things of most precious value. All other subjects bow to this one. Make your life's aim to be a diligent student of the Word of God like the prophets before you. Do not view this as the word of men.

It is not the word of men as Peter says, knowing this first that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. Prophecy for prophecy never came by the will of man but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. So it is mysterious and it is glorious. It is amazing to consider that all that the prophets had in their studies and in all of their writings and were not fully understood even to themselves. They long to see what you now see, but you do not see it." God gave them enough to satisfy their inquiries though.

He did not leave them without any revelation and understanding. Notice it says, to them it was revealed that not to themselves but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you. When you sit here and men stand here and preach the gospel to you, these prophets of old were doing that for your benefit. They weren't receiving all the benefits of that. Just like a man who stores up an inheritance for his children does not receive all the benefits of that inheritance.

He passes that on and that's what these prophets did with the Word of God. They were studying and inquiring, giving their lives for this so that you would be benefited. Receive that inheritance with with gladness and with joy. They understood that all that this studying and all of this writing and understanding it had immense value and it's the beautiful testimony of how valuable the Old Testament is because they wrote the old for your benefit. If it's for your benefit then you ought to read it and you ought to obey it.

It's not old because it's not useful anymore. It is the old covenant that we see that professes and points to the glory of the gospel in the New Covenant. And we should grab hold of that and be excited about that. It's no ordinary message. It is a message that we need.

It is a message that there are some here sitting today who have never believed. It is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And without believing in the gospel, you are doomed to a devil's hell forever. Repent and Believe on the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the good news that Christ came and died for sinners. And He rose again the third day.

And whoever believes on the Lord shall be saved. Believe this gospel and you will be saved. Believe on the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. He preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit. We see the Trinity throughout all of this and I'm not really giving ample time to that but I do want you to recognize it.

How we can neglect such a great salvation and as if it were an exclamation point Peter adds this last point in closing. Things which angels desired to look into. What is that about? Why did he put that in there? I see it as an exclamation point on what he just said.

You're not fully understanding the glory of this great salvation. You're not fully grasping the glorious nature of the salvation that God has presented and laid out for His elect. You're not seeing it. I want to make my point. Angels desire to look into these things.

These angels, these seraphim fiery beings who are around the throne of God, who behold the glory of God, and they see Him and they're ready to serve Him With two wings they flew, with two wings they were made ready, and with two more they covered themselves, and they were ready to serve God. And yet angels desire to look into this glorious salvation. What is so glorious about it? Are we missing something? This glorious salvation is so glorious that angels, the beings of God that God created, look into these things.

Think of this, angels have no hope of redemption. When angels sin, when the fallen angels rebelled against God and they sinned against him or were cast out, there was no hope of redemption. There's no savior in that sense for angels. None. And yet, they look down upon us.

And what do they see? They see rebels. They see men who hate God. They see men who curse God. They see men who deny God.

They see men who distort God. And God is offering His only Son for their salvation. Do you see why angels desire to look into these things? Do you think that they're sitting there and they see the holiness of God around the throne? They are singing, Holy, Holy, Holy.

And then they see a Holy God reach down through the power of His Son and through the Spirit of God to save defiled wicked sinners. They stand in all of this and it displays its glory to all of heaven. And they see it and they wonder. And that word look into is just like when Peter, he ran to the empty tomb and he leaned down to look into and to examine what was there. That's what the angels are doing about the salvation that we have and that you are hearing right now and what are you going to do with it?

Believe in the gospel. Repeat of your sins. Why are you playing games with God? Turn from your sin and believe in this glorious gospel and you will be saved to the glory of God the Father and of his Son forever and ever. How sweet and awesome is this place with Christ within the doors.

While everlasting love displays the choices of her stores, while all our hearts and all our songs join to admire the feast, Each of us cry with thankful tongues, Lord why? Why was I a guest? Why was I made to hear your voice and enter while there's room? When thousands make a wretched choice and rather starve than come. Twas the same love that spread the feast that sweetly drew us in, else we had still refused to taste and perish in our sin.

Pity the nations, O our God, constrain the earth to come. Sin your victorious word abroad and bring you the strangers home. We long to see your churches full that all the chosen race may with one voice and heart and soul sing your redeeming grace may it ever be true let's pray our father in heaven what a glorious gospel what a glorious salvation that you have given to such wretched creatures that you would show the praises of your glory and the riches of your love through saving people like us. What a glorious Father you are And may we praise you forever and ever. Lord, I pray for those here who are rebels now.

I pray, Lord, that you would tear down the hardness of their heart and give them heart of flesh. Give them eyes to see the glory of your Son. Give them a heart that longs for the Savior. Oh Lord, would you today save souls here? And Lord, help us to remember that we once were like them.

Rebels, unloving, filthy, vile sinners. And yet you have poured out such abundance of grace. Lord, I beseech thee, do it again today. Save your people. I pray in Christ's holy name.

Amen.