What does it mean to be saved?

In this letter Peter has a lot to say about being saved. He will speak often about the past, the present and the future salvation and how this helps us to live out our lives in the world today.

The first 12 verses seem to be an outburst of praise from Peter where he hardly takes a breath, or rather it is just one long sentence which for our sake the translators have slowed his writing down for us so that we can take in the beautiful words he has written.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice …” (1 Peter 1 v 3-6)

‘We greatly rejoice’. Why? It is because we know what it means to be saved!

1. God has lifted us from our misery even if the misery was caused by our own fault = MERCY
2. We know what it to start again = NEW BIRTH
3. We do not despair like the world despairs because we have an active confidence in God and His promises to us = LIVING HOPE
4. We are optimists because Jesus is not dead = RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
5. We have future security which our sin, decay or death will not destroy for it is not held by accomplishments or protection on earth but in haven = INHERITANCE
6. We are not alone because our relationship with God means we are kept by His power in all our circumstances of this world = FAITH
7. We have a future: we are saved, we are being saved and we will be saved = SALVATION

From these few verses this is what it means to be saved and this is why we greatly rejoice!