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In his letter, the Apostle Peter will teach his original readers (and us) how to live faithfully in a hostile world, but first he wants us to understand something that will change our perspective. Even though they were exiles, these Christians were blessed with unimaginable privilege.

That's Peter's point in 1:10-12. Yes, life hurts from one perspective. But from an eternal perspective Christians are privileged beyond belief. This week we haved learned we are privileged because we have been served by the prophets and served by evangelists.  Today we'll learn a third reason.

We Have Been Served By the Spirit

In 1 Peter 1:11, Peter says the prophets were “inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.” In verse 12, Peter says that these evangelists “preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.”

Peter invites us to look behind the scenes. It was the Spirit who was serving us through prophets and evangelists. He is the One who led the prophets to write down the truth of God’s Word without error. He is the One who superintends Peter as he writes this very letter.

Peter’s second letter says this: 2 Peter 1:20-21—knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. (21) For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul says something similar in 2 Timothy 3:16-17—All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Peter wants these struggling believers to know that even though they have not seen Jesus and do not now see Him, they are unimaginably privileged because they have been served by God’s Spirit in the inspiration of God’s Word.

If that’s true for them, how much more is it true for us? We have what even Peter’s audience didn’t have. We have the completed Word of God! We are unimaginably privileged!

A ministry called The Gideons International has printed and distributed over 2 billion Bibles in nearly 100 languages to 200 countries, territories, and possessions across the globe. Many of their Bibles include this opening paragraph:

“The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword and the Christian’s charter. Here too, Heaven is opened and the gates of Hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.[i]

Even though we are exiles, all Christians are blessed with unimaginable privilege because we have been served by the prophets, by evangelists, and by the Spirit.

 

[i] As quoted in Justin Taylor, “What Is This Book?,” The Gospel Coalition, accessed August 16, 2020, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/what-is-this-book/.