"Obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls" (1 Pet. 1:9).

Your present deliverance sets you free from the penalty and power of sin.

In 1 Corinthians 1:18 Paul says that "the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (emphasis added). That emphasizes the marvelous reality of the believer's present deliverance from sin. Peter stressed the same truth in 1 Peter 1:9, where he says that believers obtain as the outcome of their faith the salvation of their souls.

The Greek word translated "obtaining" in 1 Peter 1:9 literally means "presently receiving for yourselves." It speaks of obtaining something that is due you as a result of your faith in Christ. "Outcome of your faith" refers to the logical result or end of faith. "Souls" speaks of the whole person. The entire verse could be translated, "You rejoice because you have and continue to hold onto the logical result of your proven faith—your ongoing deliverance from sin."

You need ongoing deliverance because sin is an ongoing problem. You have new life in Christ, are a new creature in Him, and are no longer a slave to the penalty and power of sin, but you're not yet fully glorified. Consequently you're still subject to sin's influence. Paul personalized that struggle in Romans 7, where he says, "The good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. . . . I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. . . . Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (vv. 19, 21, 24). The victory comes in verse 25, which says, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Jesus is the Great Deliverer, through whom you have victory over sin, death, and hell. That's the last spiritual privilege in Peter's brief list, but it's by no means the least. As you love and trust Him, you'll know the joy of present deliverance.

Suggestions for Prayer

Praise the Lord for your deliverance from sin's bondage.

For Further Study

Review all the spiritual privileges and sources of Christian joy we've discussed this month. Keep them fresh in your mind as you face the challenges of each new day.

“For as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble” (2 Peter 1:10).

Assurance of salvation lets us enjoy earthly blessings.

It is encouraging that scriptural assurance results in specific, practical blessings in the Christian life. Here are six I’d like to share with you today.

Assurance makes you praise God. There is no way you can be filled with praise and gratitude to God if you’re not sure you’re saved.

Assurance adds joy to your earthly duties and trials. No matter what happens to you, you can be certain that all will work out well in the end. Difficulties are easier to handle when you know they’re temporary.

Assurance makes you zealous in obedience and service. If you’re doubtful about your salvation, you will be apathetic and discouraged. But if you’re sure, you will be hard-working and encouraged in serving the Lord.

Assurance gives you victory in temptation. When you are confident about your salvation, you can overcome the strongest temptation (see 1 Cor. 10:13). Even if you stumble occasionally, you will know that those events have not changed your standing before God. But you will be depressed and discouraged by temptation if you have no assurance. You’ll doubt your ability to cope with temptations and will wonder if falling victim to one or two will send you to Hell.

Assurance gives contentment in this life. You’ll rest secure in the promise that you have a glorious heavenly inheritance to look forward to. At the same time, you will be happy and satisfied that God “shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). But if you lack assurance of salvation, you’ll scramble and reach for all the world’s material goods and feel cheated when you don’t obtain them.

Assurance removes the fear of death. If you know you’re a child of God, you can be sure that the moment you die you will enter Heaven. If you don’t have that assurance, however, you’ll be even more afraid to die than one who has never heard of Christ.

If you are growing spiritually, you will have assurance, and that will let you enjoy these and other blessings as you look forward to being with the Lord for all eternity.

Suggestions for Prayer

Pray that God would help you share the blessings of assurance with someone else.

For Further Study

Read Psalm 138.

• What was David thankful for?
• What reassurances are there for every believer?

Reading for Today:

• Esther 1:1–2:23
• Psalm 89:38-45
• Proverbs 22:5-6
• Romans 2:1-29

Notes:

Esther 1:9 Queen Vashti.Greek literature records her name as Amestris. She gave birth (ca. 483 B.C.) to Ahasuerus’s third son, Artaxerxes, who later succeeded his father Ahasuerus on the throne (Ezra 7:1).

Esther 2:5 Mordecai. He was among the fourth generation of deported Jews. Kish. Mordecai’s great-grandfather who actually experienced the Babylonian deportation. After Babylon fell to Medo-Persia (ca. 539 B.C.), Jews were moved to other parts of the new kingdom. Kish represents a Benjamite family name that could be traced back (ca. 1100 B.C.) to Saul’s father (1 Sam. 9:1).

Proverbs 22:6 way he should go. There is only one right way, God’s way, the way of life. That way is specified in great detail in Proverbs. Since it is axiomatic that early training secures lifelong habits, parents must insist upon this way, teaching God’s Word and enforcing it with loving discipline consistently throughout the child’s upbringing.

Romans 2:6–10 Although Scripture everywhere teaches that salvation is not on the basis of works (4:1–4; Eph. 2:8, 9), it consistently teaches that God’s judgment is always on the basis of a man’s deeds (Is. 3:10,11; Jer. 17:10; John 5:28, 29; 1 Cor. 3:8; 2 Cor. 5:10; Gal. 6:7–9; Rom. 14:12). Paul describes the deeds of two distinct groups: the redeemed (vv. 7, 10) and the unredeemed (vv. 8, 9). The deeds of the redeemed are not the basis of their salvation but the evidence of it. They are not perfect and are prone to sin, but there is undeniable evidence of righteousness in their lives (James 2:14–20, 26).

Romans 2:11 partiality. Literally, “to receive a face,” that is, to give consideration to someone simply because of his position, wealth, influence, popularity, or appearance. Because it is God’s nature to be just, it is impossible for Him to be anything but impartial (Acts 10:34; Gal. 2:6; Eph. 6:7, 8; Col. 3:25; 1 Pet. 1:17).

DAY 31: Why isn’t God directly mentioned in Esther?

The question naturally arises when reading the book. Even the usual clues about God’s presence seem absent. No one refers to the Law of God, sacrifices, worship, or prayer. God does not appear to receive public or private recognition for the preservation of the Jews. When it comes to God, Esther seems strangely silent.

In fact, the silence is so obvious that it becomes an argument. Esther challenges the tendency to demand that God prove His power and presence. Must God be apparent? All too quickly we expect God to demonstrate in unmistakable ways His identity. Yet God has repeatedly resisted human ultimatums. God reveals Himself for His own purposes, not human requirements.

Throughout history, God has more readily operated behind the scenes than in plain sight. The Scriptures are filled with unusual circumstances in which God worked obviously. But Esther comes close to revealing God’s standard procedure. God’s fingerprints are all over Esther’s story. His superficial absence points to a deeper presence. God chose to be subtle, but He was there. The events in Esther give us a model for hope when God works in less than obvious ways in our lives.

“Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, ‘What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?’” (Matthew 8:26–27).

If you have been a believer for very long, you realize that knowing about the Lord’s love and powerful concern and trusting in them do not always go hand in hand. Even when we trust, it is not always complete or without trepidation. When the disciples witnessed Jesus calming the storm and waves, they were no doubt relieved but also still very much unnerved. Matthew says they “were amazed,” and Mark says they were “very much afraid” (Mark 4:41). They were now perhaps more afraid of the One who had just stilled the storm than they had been of the storm itself.

Our human frailties are so much a part of us that even after God has rescued us or done something amazing on our behalf, we still have doubts and fears. Like the apostles and the greats of the Old Testament, we can be most perplexed and fearful right after experiencing God’s greatness and mercy.

Our faith needs continual strengthening, as the disciples came to realize when they implored, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5; cf. Mark 9:24). We know the Lord can and will provide according to His perfect will and timing, but we easily can fail to trust in that reality. If we rely on mere “little faith” rather than complete faith, we will be afraid, timid, and doubtful when difficulties arise.

Ask Yourself

What is a proper response to God’s care, even when it arrives in undeniable power and an uncanny arrangement of events? What should gratitude be growing in us each time we see Him working on our behalf and for His kingdom’s cause?