Problem Texts for Sovereign Grace (Part 54) – 1Pe 1:9; 1Pe 1:22; 1Pe 1:23; 1Pe 3:21; 1Pe 4:6

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1.      1Pe 1:9

1. “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” (1Pe 1:9)
2. Does this verse teach that our souls are saved by our faith?
3. No, the verse is teaching that the salvation of our souls is the end of our faith.
   7. End n. – II. With reference to time or serial order. 7. a. The limit of duration, or close, of a period of time; the termination, conclusion, of an action, process, continuous state, or course of events; the terminal point of a series; the conclusion of a discourse, book, chapter, etc.
   8. Faith n. – I. Belief, trust, confidence. 1. a. Confidence, reliance, trust (in the ability, goodness, etc., of a person; in the efficacy or worth of a thing; or in the truth of a statement or doctrine). 3. Theol. in various specific applications. a. Belief in the truths of religion; belief in the authenticity of divine revelation (whether viewed as contained in Holy Scripture or in the teaching of the Church), and acceptance of the revealed doctrines. c. The spiritual apprehension of divine truths, or of realities beyond the reach of sensible experience or logical proof.
4. The object of our faith and hope is the appearing of Jesus Christ (Tit 2:13; 1Pe 1:7; Heb 9:28; 1Pe 1:13).
   1. Our salvation will be fully realized at the coming of Christ at the last day.
      1. Our bodies will be resurrected from the dead and glorified at that time (1Co 15:50-53; 1Th 4:16-17).
      2. Our souls will not come into condemnation at the final judgment (Joh 5:24 c/w Mat 25:31-34).
         1. We believe that we shall be saved from wrath on that day (Rom 5:9-10), which we now wait for (1Th 1:10).
         2. This is the consummation of the salvation of our souls (1Pe 1:9).
      3. Faith and hope are closely related (1Pe 1:21; Gal 5:5; Col 1:23).
         1. Hope n. – 1. a. Expectation of something desired; desire combined with expectation.
         2. We hope and wait for the redemption of our bodies at Christ’s coming (Rom 8:23-25).

• Once the object which one believes in and hopes for is obtained, it is no longer hoped for (Rom 8:24).

1. Once Christ returns, resurrects our bodies, saves us from wrath on judgment day, and takes us to our heavenly inheritance, we will no longer have to hope and have faith that it will happen.
   1. Therefore, the salvation of our souls which we will receive at the coming of Christ is the end (termination or conclusion) of our faith (1Pe 1:9).
   2. Our faith didn’t cause our salvation, but is rather the evidence of it (Joh 5:24). (See Joh 5:24 – Section III)

• Our faith doesn’t preserve us to the end; God’s faith and power does. (See 1Pe 1:5 – Section III)

2.      1Pe 1:22

1. “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:” (1Pe 1:22)
2. Does this verse teach that a person is regenerated and has his sins forgiven eternally by obeying the truth?
3. No: see Act 15:9 – Section III.

3.      1Pe 1:23

1. “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (1Pe 1:23)
2. Does this verse teach that a person gets born again by hearing and believing the scriptures?
3. No: see Jam 1:18 – Section III.

4.      1Pe 3:21

1. “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:” (1Pe 3:21)
2. Does this verse teach that baptism saves us eternally?
3. No: see Act 22:16 – Section III.

5.      1Pe 4:6

1. “For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” (1Pe 4:6)
2. Does this verse teach that preaching the gospel regenerates people?
   1. No, this verse doesn’t teach that the gospel regenerates people because it doesn’t say that the gospel regenerates people.
   2. The gospel is foolishness to those who are not already saved eternally when they hear it (1Co 1:18).

• Therefore the gospel cannot be a tool used by God to regenerate people.

1. The elect are regenerated by the voice of Jesus Christ (not the gospel) (Joh 5:25).
2. Regeneration is by the act of the Holy Spirit, not according to our works (Tit 3:5).

1. Peter begins chapter 4 by exhorting believers that since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, that we should likewise suffer for Christ and no longer live the rest of our time here on earth in the lusts of men (the way the world lives), but according to the will of God (live for God) (1Pe 4:1-2).
2. When we do this, men will think we are strange for not living in sin like they are and will speak evil of us (1Pe 4:3-4).
3. These men will give an account to God for this Who will judge the living and the dead on Judgment Day (1Pe 4:5).
4. It was for this cause (that God will judge both the living and the dead one day), that the gospel was preached in the past to men who are now dead (1Pe 4:6).
   1. The dead in this verse are the physically dead (1Pe 4:5 c/w Rom 14:9-10).
   2. Notice the verb tense: was…preached…to them that are dead.

• The gospel was preached in the past to those who are now dead.

1. This verse is not saying that the gospel was preached to the dead when they were dead.
2. These could have been any of the saints throughout history to whom the gospel was preached who had died prior to Peter’s writing.
3. Some examples would be Abraham (Gal 3:8) and Israel (Heb 4:2).

• The dead to whom the gospel was preached must have been God’s born-again elect, else they could not “live according to God in the spirit” (1Pe 4:6) since “they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom 8:8).

1. The gospel was preached to them so that, even though they were judged by men in the flesh (worldly men who spoke evil of them for living godly), they could live according to (in a manner agreeing with, consistent with, or answering to; agreeably to) God in the spirit (they could live godly lives — act like God) (1Pe 4:6).
2. In other words, in light of the coming judgment of both those living now and those who lived in the past, the gospel was and is preached to men, that they might turn from sin and live for God so they will not be ashamed at Christ’s coming when the world will be judged (1Jo 2:28), though they may be judged by men in this life.
3. Peter was teaching the same thing Paul did, that the purpose of the gospel is to teach us to deny ungodliness and live righteously in this present world (Tit 2:11-13).