The Clan

Good morning,

One of the most basic needs of humans is to "belong".  In 1943, the psychologist, Abraham Maslow, published a paper detailing his "hierarchy of needs".  The most basic needs are physiological.  This is why it is difficult to teach a hungry child; this is the major justification behind school breakfast programs.  The second most basic need, according to Maslow, is "safety".  Humans need to feel reasonably sure that nothing catastrophic is going to happen to them in any given situation.  Next on the list is the need I'm focusing on this morning, the need to belong, to feel a part of something larger than yourself.

We see this in society in all kinds of positive and also perverted ways.  For instance, kids on a playground gravitate to those children they deem to be most like themselves.  Young adults and older adults join groups of people with whom they share common interests.  Disaffection, feeling unrelatable to others, is a bad thing.  Left to their own devices, people will sometimes choose to attach themselves to groups that are nefarious and harmful, both to themselves and to others.  Why do you think that "street gangs" are so popular?  Why do "rudder-less" young men join ISIS and/or Al Qaeda?

Man was created for fellowship with other people, but more importantly with God.  In 1 Peter 2:9-10, the apostle describes God's "clan" like this:

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

You can't be part of a clan unless you share a common lineage.  In this case, our lineage comes through the new birth into Jesus Christ.  The decision to follow Christ, the salvation decision, is the common thread, the scarlet thread, that connects God's children, across the world.

So, if you, Believer, were asked to describe your God clan, what would you say?  This is what Peter said:

• God chose the Church of Jesus Christ to proclaim His praises and spread the gospel.  The Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20 makes it plain that we are God's instrument for this purpose.  (See also John 15:16 and Ephesians 1:3.)
• God calls us "royalty", a royal priesthood.  We know longer need a priest, either of the Levitical type of the Old Testament, or the modern type of the Orthodox or Catholic churches. Jesus Christ Himself, we read in Hebrews 4:14-16, is our High Priest, who makes intercession for us. We can, therefore, boldly approach God's throne through the power of the Holy Spirit Who lives in us, and in the name of Jesus Christ.  God's sons and daughters are princes and princesses.
• God sees us as a holy nation.  This is because the blood of Jesus Christ covers all our sins and removes them as far as the east is from the west.  (Ps. 103:12)
• God calls us a "peculiar people" (KJV).  This doesn't mean what you think it does!  The word "peculiar" is from the Latin "pecus", which means "flock".  He is saying that we are His Flock.  The actual Greek word is "peripoiesis", which has a connotation of personal property.  The NASB translates it as "a people for God's own possession".  We see this same word in Ephesians 1:13-14 - - - 

13In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Furthermore, this promise in 1 Peter 1:9 is the same one we read that God made to the {chosen} Hebrew people in Deuteronomy 7:6!  I mean, really, that is just ... super-duper!

• Until Jesus Christ came to earth and paid for the sins of ALL mankind, the disparate peoples of the earth had no scarlet thread that was common to all.  But, Christ's blood sacrifice is made available to all, not just to the Jews.  Now, anyone, from any people group, can come to Jesus Christ for mercy, for salvation.  Jesus' blood is that unifier, that "scarlet thread".  You "who once were not a people, but are now the people of God...."  How beautiful is our God!  How beautiful is the Body of Christ!

In the next blog post, on Monday, I want to apply this in a deeper way.  Join me then.

Father God, in my own life, Satan tries constantly to attack my position in You.  When troubles, trials and tears come, I am tempted to forget who I am and WHOSE I am.  This passage from Your Holy Word so encourages me because it reminds me that I am part of Your Chosen People.  I cannot express my gratitude to be a member of The Clan, the greatest Family in the history of the world. Yes, there are persecutions that accrue to membership in this Body of Christ.  In the middle of them, may we who belong never forget our tremendous benefits, the overwhelming riches that are ours in Christ Jesus!  It is in His matchless name I pray, Amen.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs

http://www.awordfromtheword.org/a-peculiar-people

The Blarney Stone

Good morning,

I have a friend who, in a few weeks, is going to take a trip to Ireland.  She is so excited!  I don't blame her.  One of the more famous landmarks of that country, and one of the most famous stones in the world, is something called The Blarney Stone.  This is not a free-standing, round stone.  Rather, it is part of a limestone wall of the Blarney Castle, which stands in Cork, Ireland.  The word "blarney" has come to mean "deceptive flattery with a flair of humor and/or wit", or a form of "pretty lying".

In our text for this morning, a metaphor is used by Peter, comparing Jesus Christ to a stone....but not a Blarney stone.

4-8 Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God. The Scriptures provide precedent:

Look! I’m setting a stone in Zion,

    a cornerstone in the place of honor.

Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation

    will never have cause to regret it.

To you who trust him, he’s a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him,

The stone the workmen threw out

    is now the chief foundation stone.

For the untrusting it’s

. . . a stone to trip over,

    a boulder blocking the way.

They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted.

The attributes of Jesus highlighted here are these:

• He is the living Stone.  He is alive this very moment, has been forever, and will be forevermore. He is the eternal Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.  (John 1:1-3, 14:  Hebrews 11:17; Colossians 1:17)  Like Him, we, His Church, are referred to "living stones" (vs. 5). 
• He is the honored Stone.  (Rev. 5:12-14; Luke 21:27)  God has given His Son the place of highest honor.  Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.
• He is the rejected Stone.  God knows that most people who hear the gospel of Jesus Christ will reject Him.  In this passage Peter was referring first to the Jews of his day, particularly how the Jewish "establishment" had Jesus put to death.  Today, as back then, in the case of scoffers and unbelievers, Jesus Christ is a stone over which they will "trip and fall" because they refuse to trust Him as Savior.
• He is the Cornerstone.  

I don't know anything about construction, but I am told that the cornerstone is the linchpin to the success/strength of the entire building.  If the cornerstone is set wrong, then the foundation is off; and, if the foundation is off, then the whole building will be unstable.  All the other stones are set in reference to the cornerstone.  It determines the fitness of the entire structure.  The Encyclopedia Britannica states that the cornerstones of a building, often laid out with astronomical precision were viewed as "seeds" from which the rest of the building would grow and rise.  No wonder Peter chose this analogy for the Savior!

Unlike the Blarney Stone, Jesus Christ does not represent beguiling deception.  He instead represents eternal life.  He is SOLID!  On Him we can depend for our eternal security.  Peter emphatically states (vs. 6) that those who believe on Him and trust in Him will never have cause to regret it.

So the Church of Jesus Christ is here likened to an eternal building, one that will never be destroyed. There are earthly structures which have been so well-built that they have stood for thousands of years.  Examples include the pyramids of Egypt, Mesopotamia and Mexico.  But, they will pass away because this whole earth will pass away.  However, the words of God and the Church of Jesus Christ will never pass away (Matthew 24:35 and Ephesians 3:10-11).  This "building", this Kingdom, this Body of Christ, this Church is eternal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGe-0mbiinE

Thank you, Father, for revealing to our finite minds some of the marvelous mysteries of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).  There is no blarney to be found in You.  On You, we can eternally depend.  Your Son is the Solid Rock, and yes, all others are like sinking sand.  I am so grateful that I can rest in that assurance.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blarney_Stone

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/137988/cornerstone

http://www.gty.org/resources/Articles/A235/Reexamining-the-Eternal-Sonship-of-Christ

Milk Allergy?

Good morning,

I have a milk allergy, and no, it is not merely my imagination.   I was raised to drink good, wholesome milk.  In fact, when I was young, being a rural girl, we got our milk from local farmers.  I can still see it in the fridge in a large, glass jar, with a screw-on lid.  That good nutrition caused me to grow up strong and well.  But, about 15 years ago, I began to have a lot of intestinal discomfort and, through the process of elimination (pun intended), realized that it was due to my consumption of overprocessed, hormone-laced dairy products.

Spiritually, some of us have a milk allergy!  Just this morning, I ran across the daily devotional from Dr. Michael Youssef's Leading the Way ministries.  The title was "The Subtle Sin of Compromise".

 <crickets....>

I immediately had a spiritual allergic reaction.  I didn't want to read that!  Why not?  Because straightaway the Holy Spirit brought to my mind an area in which I have been compromising my walk.  So, I made myself read it and meditate on it anyway.
Has that ever happened to you?
Has the pastor, for instance, ever gotten up to preach and you immediately "tuned out" because you did not like the topic?  Did you break out in "spiritual hives" becuase he hit a little too close to home?

Sometimes, I know I'm not going to get many hits on a particular daily blog post, simply because of the title!  Holiness, for instance, does not "sell".  We really don't like to be confronted with our own sins, do we?

Persistently confronting our sins, confessing them and repenting of them is essential to our growth as Christians. We must not shy away from that ongoing sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.  If we do, we won't mature and will instead become spiritual "Baby Huey"s!

Today's passage is 1 Peter 2:1-3.  Here it is, from the NKJV:

2 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Has the Lord been gracious to you?  He has been incredibly gracious to me, because He has given me His salvation!  If I want to "grow up" spiritually, then, I must desire that pure spiritual milk which is foremost found in God's Word, the Bible.  In order to do that, I must push past my "hounding sins", those sins that "dog" me, day-in and day-out, (some sample ones are mentioned in verse 1) and immerse myself in God's pure, spiritual milk daily.  The more you apply this spiritual discipline to your life, the more you will come to crave that delicious "milk"!

Lord God, please give us a voracious hunger and thirst for the morsels of nourishment from your Word, even if sometimes they taste like celery (which you know, Lord, I don't care for!)  Please "grow us up" in our faith, so that we can represent You accurately to those who do not yet know You as Savior.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Sources:
https://www.ltw.org/web/guest/read/my-devotional/-/blogs/the-subtle-sin-of-compromi-1

https://archive.org/details/Baby_Huey_Quack-A-Doodle-Doo_1950

Gather Ye Rosebuds?

Good morning,

If you are a woman, chances are that at some time in your life you have received flowers for some occasion.  Perhaps they were from an admirer, or from your Dad.  Or perhaps they were sent as a condolence on the loss of a loved one.  Regardless, there is no greater picture of impermanence than a beautiful flower.  Though a reminder of God's infinite imagination in creation, it also reminds us of the briefness of our own lives.

Some sad souls, not realizing their extreme spiritual poverty, live their one life on this earth as if this fleeting, mortal life is all there is.  This belief system is typified in the 17th century poem by Robert Herrick, "To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time".  Here is the first stanza.  (Miss Hallford made us study this poem in Honors English all those years ago....)

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may
Old Time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.

No doubt we should make the most of our time in between our conversion to Christianity and our last breath.  That is inarguable.  But, this life is not the end, nor is it the be-all.  Here, at the end of the first chapter of his letter, Peter disabuses readers of the notion that this life is all for which we should live.

22-25 Now that you’ve cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God’s living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! That’s why the prophet said,

The old life is a grass life,

    its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers;

Grass dries up, flowers droop,

    God’s Word goes on and on forever.

This is the Word that conceived the new life in you.

In contrast to the flowers, which are here today and gone tomorrow, what is permanent?  The Word of God is everlasting.  It was by His Word (His Son) we were "spiritually conceived", and by His Word we are kept saved through all eternity.  His Son is God's Living Word.  The Bible is God's written revelation to us, our guidebook as we travel through this life.  Many have tried to destroy it, but it has seemingly miraculously survived for centuries, virtually unchanged!  The Bible is the most trustworthy, scholarly accurate, well-preserved book in all of human history.  We are promised that this Word will not be ineffective or "return to God empty" (Isaiah 55:11).  It is a supernatural book.

As followers of Christ, bearers of His Truth to a dying world, how should we then live?  We find the answer here in verse 22:  "love one another fervently, from a pure heart" (NET).  The apostle John devotes whole chapters to this theme in his book of 1 John.  Does this not also echo the command of Jesus, from Matthew 22:36-40?  This is, according to Jesus, "the second commandment".  What does that mean, to love "from a pure heart"?  It means that we should love our brothers and sisters in Christ and then this lost world without hope of personal gain in the loving. Love is, by definition, sacrificial.  It is a "giving" to someone else.  There are two Greek words for "love" used in verse 22. Let's look at the verse in the NIV:

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love (Greek - "philadelphian") for your brothers, love (Greek - "agapesate") each other deeply, from the heart.

In Greek there are three words for "love" - - - "eros", "phileo" and "agape".  The first one, not used in this passage, refers to physical, erotic love.  The second refers to "brotherly love" and the third to "the sacrificial love demonstrated by God", utterly selfless.
So, Peter is saying here, it is well and good that you love your brothers and sisters in the faith with a phileo love; now, go a step further and love them sacrificially, fervently, modeling the way that God Himself loves us, His children.

Maybe we should think of each act of sacrificial love as ... a rosebud?

Father, teach us to love each other, as You have loved us, with that highest of loves, that agape love. Through Your Word You have declared that type of love toward us:  "But God demonstrated His love ("agape") for us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8).  May we demonstrate that we are Your people through our loving acts today.  In Jesus' name, amen. 

Sources:
http://www.bartleby.com/101/248.html

Priceless!

Good morning,

Last night during the college bible study here at the house, we had the best discussion we've ever had. We were looking at the topic of "labor/work" in light of how God established this as a holy endeavor. We have one more session in #thetruthproject series; this one was session #11.  I was thinking that I have not heard a sermon about the sacredness of work very often.  Usually, if you hear a sermon about work at all, it occurs around Labor Day weekend.

It occurred to me that I have allowed myself to have a tainted attitude when it comes to work.  The common, worldly attitude toward work is "something I have to do in order to make money".  It is viewed as a burden, instead of a privilege or an opportunity to be creative with the talents God has given me.  "Is it Friday yet?"  This typifies the world's attitude toward work, and it's "sloppy living".

One of the guys last night correctly pointed out that our work is so important because it is how most adults spend most of our waking hours.

So, how should we view work?  Let's look at today's text:  1 Peter 1:17-22.  (The Message)

17 You call out to God for help and he helps—he’s a good Father that way. But don’t forget, he’s also a responsible Father, and won’t let you get by with sloppy living.

18-21 Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.

In our work, as in all things, we should pattern ourselves after God.  He is the original creative force which formed our universe.  In Genesis we read that He worked hard for six days, and on the 7th day He rested.  He commanded us (the 4th of the 10 Commandments) to do the same.  "Work hard, but then rest every 7th day."  (There are many who get all up in the air over which day of the week that "7th day" MUST be, but I'm not going to go into that today.)

One of the hardest things for folks, especially teens and twenty-somethings, is to decide what their life's work will be.  One of my former pastors used to teach on this.  In fact, he (Ike Reighard) wrote a great book called, Discovering Your NorthStar.  The gist of his teaching was this:  God gave each one of us talents and gifts to use for Him.  He made us so that we delight in using these gifts.  Our "work" should be something that uses the gifts He gave us.

I have an old friend who, as a young man, began a career selling insurance.  But, he was not built for sitting in an office on the phone all day.   He realized that his passion was for interacting with people, building small town community and ministering to those who need Jesus the most.  So, he began to do this in his local church, as his personal ministry.  Soon, he was hired by that church to be the community pastor, full-time.  That church is what it is today in large part because he began to use his unique gifts from God.

My niece, too, began a career selling insurance.  (I'm not meaning to pick on the insurance industry here; it has just worked out that way....)  After a year, she realized that this was not the career that best fit her gifts.  In the interim, she learned how to make the best pie crust I've ever tasted.  She went on to find investors and to open a little pie shop.  She has combined her love of making pie with the excellent business degree she received from the University of Georgia, to build a thriving business.

Then, (oh, I love this!) there was Johann Sebastian Bach, the very famous and prolific composer of the 1600s, who loved music and loved God.  In fact, there is a handwritten notation at the end of all of his penned works: SDG - - - Soli Deo Gloria - - - Latin for "Glory to God alone!"  George Frideric Handel (who wrote The Messiah) did the same.

I cite these as examples of those who followed their passions to use their gifts for God's glory. The pop musician Marc Anthony paraphrased Confucius when he said, "If you love what you do, then you'll never 'work' a day in your life."  So true.  This should be a hallmark of Christians.  Bosses should exclaim to each other, "I got to hire a Christian!" We should be the best bosses and business owners and workers in the marketplace.  Are we?  Not if we fall captive to false worldviews, including the false worldview about work being drudgery or (worse!) a curse.

Work is honorable.  The Bible is filled with verses that extol the virtues of work.  Today's passage emphasizes that we should live our lives (including doing our work) with a deep consciousness of God always in the forefront.  Elsewhere we are reminded, "whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).  Why?  Because our new life in Christ Jesus is priceless!

What was the price that was paid so that we could walk resplendent, in forgiveness, in freedom to love, work, play, worship, evangelize, etc.?  Was it 1 million dollars?  Was it 49 grams of pure gold? Was it 67,993 silver ingots?  No, it was something far more costly than those:  it was the priceless, precious blood of Christ that paid the price for our redemption.  This "cost God plenty", to buy us back from that empty-headed life in which we formerly walked.

Christian brothers and sisters!  As you work today, keep in mind what a privilege it is to serve the Lord through your work.  Be an example (a good one!) to everyone in your workplace, so that they may see God at work in you, and in amazement glorify Your Heavenly Father.

Thank you for this new day, Father.  I am grateful for this reminder of how very costly was the salvation that You bought for me.  Knowing this compels me to glorify You in my work today, in my conversation, in my play, in my rest - - - whatever it is You bring into my sphere today.  May I be deeply conscious of Your presence, in thought and deed.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Sources:  www.thetruthproject.org

Blazing With Holiness

Good morning,

Yesterday, at church, one of our college-age members - - - one of the precious young ladies who has served as a leader in our church's girls' ministry, one of the sweet members of our college-age SS and Bible study classes - - - surrendered to the call to full-time Christian service.  She will enroll in seminary in the late summer of this year.  What a blessing!

I thought of her this morning as I read today's passage:  1 Peter 1:13-16.  In fact, it is my prayer for her, for me and for you.  Here it is, in The Message version.

13-16 So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”

Blazing with holiness!  What a standard to meet!  Patterning ourselves after God's example of perfect holiness - - - what an example to follow!  Peter is exhorting the young churches of Asia to pursue holy living.  This kind of Christian life does not happen by accident.  This kind of life does not automatically fall into place once a person accepts Jesus as Savior.  In fact, Peter makes it plain that "the default setting" is to "lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil."  (Don't you just love that language?)  If we don't keep a guard on our hearts, we will not "naturally" become more holy.  No, just the opposite will occur.

We have been warned.

The closest example to my own heart is that of following my feelings.  (I know that none of the rest of you ladies out there ever do that!)  "Follow your heart!"  Isn't that the popular mantra?  Somebody posted that, in essence, on Facebook the other day.  My response/comment was that our hearts, unless indwelled by the Holy Spirit, are "more deceitful than all things and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9).  This is a description of the human heart without Jesus Christ.

See, when we accept Christ as Savior, He gives us a new heart.  The problem is that our old one is still with us, warring with the new heart, the new nature.   The old heart says, "Do what you feel like doing!"  Peter makes it clear that such is an old evil groove.  Not groovy, Y'all, not groovy!

Christians!  We.Know.Better!  We have the Holy Spirit in us, Who testifies to us of the Truth and Who speaks to us of God's better way of holiness.  We need to choose His holiness.  This is God's path of obedience for us.

I just love the college kids in whom Hubster and I have been privileged to invest.  One of them quipped yesterday that she needs to "find her big girl panties"!  She was referring to the popular expression "Put your big girl panties on!"  In other words, "re-adjust your attitude toward holiness". She was saying that she needs to blaze with holiness.

At the time of this writing, it is Monday morning.  What a good time to re-commit ourselves to allowing the Holy Spirit to shape us, to cleanse us, to sanctify us and to fill us with His righteous energy for this new week!  And, if you are not reading this on Monday?  No matter.  You can still re-commit yourself to yielding to His shaping.

We talk about Holy Week in conjunction with the Easter Season - - - let's allow the Spirit to make every week "holy week".  What is pulling you back into the muck and mire today?  Give it to the Lord (perhaps "again"... and "again" .... and "again").  That's okay.  Don't be discouraged.  We are human.  Slip happens.

Holiness is a spoil of (spiritual) war.  We begin to win the battle when we "put our minds in gear". It is the prize we gain when our old sinful nature rises up in us and we scream "By the power of the Holy Spirit and in the glorious Name of Jesus, Heck-to-the-NO!"  Then, we ask the fiery Holy Spirit to fill us with fresh wind and fresh fire, to blaze up in us until we are filled to the brim with Him, with His holiness, not some fake, manufactured imitation.  Holiness is His gift to His own.

Father, You have commanded us to follow Your example of perfection.  We acknowledge that it is only through the power of Your Holy Spirit living within each Christian that we can even begin to approach that standard in our daily living.  Help us, O Father, to walk resplendent!  Empower us and fill us, so that we may walk in the way that brings You honor and glory - - - the way everlasting!  (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV - - - Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.) 
In Jesus' name, amen.

From Ruination to Redemption

Good morning,

Have you ever ruined something?  Ruination carries with it a sense that whatever was messed up can't be fixed.  When I read about Adam and Eve's actions in the Garden of Eden, and the horrible consequences following, I can't help but think of ruination.  The holy angels of God must have felt a profound sense of amazement and despair.  God's beautiful creation - - - ruined!  How could such a thing have happened?  How could God have let it happen?

Today's text is 1 Peter 1:10-12, but I've included verses 8-9, for context.  Here are the verses, in The Message version.

8-9 You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don’t see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you’ll get what you’re looking forward to: total salvation.

10-12 The prophets who told us this was coming asked a lot of questions about this gift of life God was preparing. The Messiah’s Spirit let them in on some of it—that the Messiah would experience suffering, followed by glory. They clamored to know who and when. All they were told was that they were serving you, you who by orders from heaven have now heard for yourselves—through the Holy Spirit—the Message of those prophecies fulfilled. Do you realize how fortunate you are? Angels would have given anything to be in on this!

Peter reminds his readers that God had a plan all along.  What happened in Eden did not catch HIM by surprise!  In fact, it was first revealed by God in Genesis 3:15!  Angels have marveled as God, down through the centuries, unfolded His perfect plan for the redemption of mankind.  Why?

1.  Different creations
Angels are a completely different creation of God than are humans.  It is frustrating for me to hear someone say of a deceased loved one things like, "She's an angel now!"  Well, no, she is not. Humans are not angels, either before they pass from this life to the next or after.  We read both in Psalm 8:4-6 and also in Hebrews 2:5-9 that humankind was created "a little lower than the angels".  Peter tells us that angels recognize these differences and are fascinated by them.  Here is the Hebrews passage:

5It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6But there is a place where someone has testified:

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,

a son of man that you care for him?

7You made them a little lower than the angels;

you crowned them with glory and honor

8and put everything under their feet.”

In putting everything under them,  God left nothing that is not subject to them.^e Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

(NIV)

2.  No common salvation
The Bible does not specifically tell us why angels were not included in God's redemption plan. Perhaps it is because the revelation to angels was so much greater, to begin with.  Luke 12:48 states a principle that is relevant here:  "to whom much is given, much will be required".  The fallen angels sinned with their "eyes wide open".  Humans, by contrast, were deceived by Satan, at one time a high-ranking angel.
We read in Hebrews 2:14-16 that Jesus Christ bypassed the angel class, choosing instead to take on the form of a human male, in order to redeem the human class of beings.

14Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17For this reason he had to be made like them,^k fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Angels, though given free will to choose to serve God or not, cannot be redeemed.  Those fallen angels who chose millennia ago to rebel against God, choosing to follow Satan are forever chained in Tartarus to this day, and will be until God chooses to release them for a brief time during the last days.  At the final judgment they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire, forever.  The Bible makes no provision for redemption for the angelic class of beings.

This is why 1 Peter 1:12 speaks of how intrigued angels are by the salvation God provides to mankind through His Son, Jesus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfaQ8qoCUaA
Your musical treat for the day!  :)

Father God, in Your magnificent all-knowingness You have created us.  In Your image, You have created us.  In Your mercy, You have redeemed us...and angels marvel.  You are Almighty, and I am dumfounded when I consider Your incredible works, because I can't even begin to understand them. All glory to You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit!  In the glorious name of Jesus, amen.