First Peter 1:10 speaks of the grace that was to come unto the believers, which was prophesied by the prophets, who sought and searched diligently concerning the salvation of the believers’ souls. The grace mentioned by Peter here is different from the grace mentioned in John 1. John said that the Word became flesh, full of grace, and that grace came through Jesus Christ (vv. 14, 17). Grace came through Jesus Christ, with Jesus’ incarnation, but Peter said that there is a grace which is not yet but is to come. This grace was not mentioned in the Old Testament, but it was prophesied by the prophets who sought and searched diligently concerning the salvation of the believers’ souls (1 Pet. 1:9), not the salvation of their bodies or spirits. Our souls need to be saved.
Today’s theological schools do not teach concerning the salvation of the soul. This shows the shortage in the theology of Christianity. In Christianity the top theology is that of the Brethren. This is the theology adopted by Dallas Theological Seminary and based on the teachings of C. I. Scofield. The Scofield Reference Bible was written according to the Brethren teaching. There are also the Reformed theology of John Calvin and other theologies, but all these theologies are short of the divine revelation. This shortage is also evident in the Nicene Creed, which is adhered to by both the Catholic Church and many of the Protestant churches. On the Lord’s Day, many in Christianity still recite the Nicene Creed. It is perfect and we agree with it, but it is incomplete.
There are at least six crucial points which the Nicene Creed does not mention. 1) John 7:39 says, “The Spirit was not yet.” No theology in Christianity covers this point. They do not know what this means. 2) First Corinthians 15:45b says, “The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.” In Christianity’s traditional teaching of the Triune God, the three of the Triune God are separate. If you say that Christ, the Son in the flesh, became the life-giving Spirit, they feel that you are mixing up the Son with the Spirit. Actually, their teaching of the Trinity is tritheistic. They do not admit that they believe in three Gods, but unconsciously they teach three Gods. To them the Son is one God, the Spirit is one God, and the Father is one God. Some have said that the life-giving Spirit in 1 Corinthians 15:45b is not the Holy Spirit. But if this were the case, there must be another Spirit besides the Holy Spirit which gives life. 3) Second Corinthians 3:17 says that “the Lord is the Spirit,” and verse 18 speaks of the “Lord Spirit.” The Lord and the Spirit are one, but the traditional teaching says that the Son, who is the Lord, is separate from the Spirit. But in 2 Corinthians 3:18 there is the compound divine title the Lord Spirit. 4) Philippians 1:19 speaks of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 5) Revelation 1:4; 4:5; and 5:6 speak of the seven Spirits. 6) Exodus 30 reveals the compound Spirit typified by the holy anointing ointment (vv. 23-25). This ointment is compounded with olive oil and four spices. Who knows the significance of these five elements?
The above six points are not taught or understood in today’s Christianity, so the Nicene Creed is perfect but incomplete. I am saying this here because when we speak on the crystallization of the grace of God, we are also exposing the shortage of today’s theology.
Peter spoke of the grace which was for the salvation of the believers’ souls. 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 said, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul-life?” (Mark 8:36). A man can gain the whole world and lose his soul. This shows that the soul needs to be saved. If, for the sake of saving your soul, you sacrifice the whole world, that is worthwhile.
First Peter 1:13 speaks of the grace on which the believers set their hope perfectly. Nearly every day, I pray that my soul will be saved at the Lord’s coming back. In Matthew 25 the Lord speaks of different types of servants. When the Lord comes back, He will tell some that they are slothful slaves, and they will be cast into the outer darkness (vv. 24-30). This is to lose the soul. The Lord will tell others that they are good and faithful slaves, and they will enter into the joy of their Lord (vv. 20-23). This is the saving of the soul in the next age for those who enter into the enjoyment of the Lord to feast with Him. This grace will come by the revelation of the Lord Jesus at His second coming. It was studied by the prophets in the Old Testament and is hoped for by us, the New Testament believers. Thank the Lord for such a grace.