At this point I would like to comment further on the Spirit’s sanctification. The sanctification of the Spirit is of two aspects: the sanctification of the Spirit before justification, the first aspect, and the sanctification of the Spirit after justification, the second aspect. With the second aspect of the Spirit’s sanctification there are two sides—the positional side and the dispositional side. After God justifies us and regenerates us, immediately the sanctifying Spirit continues His separating work upon us and within us. First, the sanctifying Spirit separates us positionally from things that are common and worldly. This positional sanctification is objective. Simultaneously, the sanctifying Spirit also begins to sanctify us dispositionally. This means that the Spirit is sanctifying our disposition. This is the subjective side of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. The subjective sanctification is what we mean by the work of transformation. Subjective sanctification involves the transformation of our disposition and our inward parts. Therefore, this transformation of our disposition is the dispositional sanctification of the Spirit.
By now we should be clear concerning the two aspects of sanctification. The first aspect takes place before justification. The second aspect, with its two sides, takes place after justification. After we have been justified and regenerated, the Spirit works to sanctify us positionally and also dispositionally.
In 1:5 Peter says that we are being guarded by the power of God through faith unto salvation, and this salvation is ready to be revealed at the last time. The last time refers to the time of the Lord’s coming (1:7). This last time does not denote a day or an hour. Rather, it signifies a period of time. At the end of this particular period of time, the Lord Jesus will come back.
God’s full salvation will be revealed to us, or brought to us, by the Lord’s coming back. That is the time this full salvation will become complete to us in experience. Even now this salvation is ready to be revealed.
In 1:6 Peter goes on to say, “In which you exult, though for a little while at present, if it must be, you have been made sorrowful by various trials.” Some readers of the Bible may think that the antecedent of “which” in verse 6 is salvation. This understanding is not correct. The relative pronoun “which” does not refer to salvation; instead, it refers to the last time. This means that we exult in the last time. Whenever we consider the last time, we should exult, that is, we should become joyful and rejoice to the uttermost.
In verse 6 Peter not only speaks of exulting in the last time, but also speaks of being made sorrowful by various trials. These trials are sufferings which test the quality of someone or something.
The purpose of the book of 1 Peter is to establish and strengthen the suffering believers who have been chosen by God, sanctified by the Spirit from the world unto God, sprinkled by the redeeming blood of Christ, and regenerated by God the Father unto a living hope, unto an inheritance kept in the heavens for them (1:1-4), yet are as pilgrims still sojourning on this earth (1:1, 17; 2:11). In their sojourn, sufferings are unavoidable. They are used by God to test and prove their faith (1:7), to see whether they will follow Christ in suffering for doing good (2:19-23; 3:14-18). The sufferings are used to arm them with a mind against the flesh, that they might not live in the lusts of men, but in the will of God (4:1-2), that they might share the sufferings of Christ and rejoice at the unveiling of His glory (4:12-19), that they might be witnesses of the sufferings of Christ (5:1), and that they might be perfected, established, strengthened, and grounded for the eternal glory into which God has called them (5:8-10). This is wholly under God’s government that He might judge His chosen people (1:17), to begin His judgment from His own house (4:17). Hence, this book may also be considered a book concerning God’s government.
In verse 6 Peter inserts the phrase “if it must be.” Peter’s intention is to give the suffering saints a comforting word. Sometimes we need a certain trial, a trial that makes us sorrowful. When we are made sorrowful by a particular trial, we need to realize that such a trial is necessary. However, this trial is “for a little while at present.” The “last time” is coming. At that time God’s full salvation will be revealed to us. Therefore, we should exult in the last time.