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To: editor-surveyor; CynicalBear
1 Peter 1:9 "Receiving" is "komizomenoi." That is a present participle. So what are Peter's readers receiving in an ongoing way in the present (the effect of the present participle) as a consequence of their faith?  Their Salvation!

This isn't hard. You've probably done a contract or two in your lifetime.  You should understand that where the terms and conditions of the contract have been met, the promised goods or services become yours by right, even if you may be inconveniently positioned to take full possession of them at the moment. They do belong to you.  It is right to speak of them as that which belongs to you.

In the case of salvation, we are right to be speaking of having obtained a place of inheritance as sons and daughters in Christ ...
Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
"Have obtained." Past tense. Not future. Past. Let that soak in for a moment.  It is a glorious truth, is it not? That inheritance is ours. We own it. The terms and conditions have already been met in the righteous life, substitutionary death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul here is saying the outcome is set, i.e., this contract is not subject to modification.

That status, being co-inheritor with Christ of all the heavenly blessings, is not obtained in some carnal competition for superior righteousness by extending the list of "good things we do." How does Peter describe it?  The end of our faith.  The place our faith keeps on taking us: The salvation of our souls.

Why then does Peter speak of the futuristic elements? Because some elements of our salvation, though we own it all now, will not come into our possession until we are ready to enjoy them. God holds it in trust for us. When we come of age, we will come into all of it. How awful it would be to enter heaven now, with unredeemed bodies growing old and minds going senile.  Much better to wait until we have our new bodies and our resurrection life in the full force of eternal glory before we enter heaven's gates and take full possession of what even now is our right to own:
Rom 8:15-17  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.  (16)  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:  (17)  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

910 posted on 07/03/2014 11:20:02 PM PDT by Springfield Reformer (Winston Churchill: No Peace Till Victory!)
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To: Springfield Reformer

Well done!!


920 posted on 07/04/2014 12:29:44 PM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ)
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To: Springfield Reformer

We don’t need your famous machinations.

If they serve you, great, but to those reading them, they lead to destruction.

Yeshua told us that we must endure in the faith to the end; if you reject that, work it out.
.


926 posted on 07/04/2014 4:57:47 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Springfield Reformer

Beautifully done.


1,185 posted on 07/12/2014 5:23:12 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
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