Sneak Peak of God's Big Deal (1 Peter 1:8-9)

I remember staying home from school sick.  Being sick was never fun, but the best part of it was being able to watch the TV game shows.  One of my favorites was Let's Make a Deal.  Sometimes contestants would blindly trade for items that they could not see, but at other times, contestants would be given a sneak peak at what was behind a curtain.  Sometimes that trade would work out for good and other times it didn't.

We as believers have somewhat the same opportunity.  We get to experience a peak of what God has in store for us.

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9)

We don't get to see into the future or peak to see what is on the other side of the pearly gates, but we do get to experience some aspects of our salvation on this side of eternity.

Before coming to Christ, sin controlled us with its dominating grip, but now we experience power over sin.  No longer are we a slave to sin and bound in its chains.  Salvation set us free and  Christ gave us liberty.  As the power of Christ gives us victory over sin, liberty gives us the ability to make right choices and to choose righteousness instead of sin.

We experience light and are no longer in darkness.  God's word lightens our path and the Holy Spirit lightens our eyes so that by faith we can see God and follow him.  He also dwells in the heart of every believer and because of it, he guides, teaches, intercedes and gives us comfort.  Because he dwells in us, we are never alone.

Our stepping stones to heaven are lined with great and precious promises.  From them we have assurance of what God will do through us and also for us.

Probably one of my greatest experiences in salvation is my adoptive relationship with God.  The night that I trusted Christ as savior, God the Father adopted me into his family.  Before this, my heart experienced a great void: an emptiness that nothing on earth was able to satisfy, but when I came to Christ, the love of God filled my heart.

This is not all that we will experience.  One day, our salvation will be complete, but until then, we get to peak behind Heaven's curtain and see part of the big deal that God has prepared for us.