The Treatment through three verbs
First verb: Receiving (1)

“Receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:9).
This verse is really very endearing and lovely to our hearts. And here comes up the question: what is the outcome of our faith? It’s not healing from our diseases or comfort in life or any worldly gain. “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way” (Matthew 7:14). The outcome of our faith is the salvation of our souls.

The angel said to Joseph the carpenter about the Lord Jesus: “And you shall call His name JESUS.” Why? Is it because He was going to give His people rest from their burdens? Or He was going to heal them from their diseases or make them rich?! Indeed He does all that and more, but the main purpose is, “for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). 

We received, are receiving, and will receive salvation; for this, the verb “receiving” came in the present continuous tense. We have already enjoyed our salvation and deliverance from the punishment of our sins. And we still enjoy daily our salvation from the power of the sin. Also we await the day where we will enjoy the salvation from the body of sin. What a great salvation, there is nothing like it that can ease and treats our pains and sufferings.

It’s the salvation that we read about in the epistle to the Hebrews: "So great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord” (Hebrews 2:3). The Apostle couldn’t specify the description or the value and the privilege of this salvation so he said only: "So great”.

Apostle Paul received this salvation so he dared to say "But what things were gains to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things” (Philippians 3:7, 8). He didn’t have a wife, children, or even a place to live. He gladly gave his health, comfort, and everything, but he continues saying: "and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in Him” (Philippians 3:8, 9).

In as much as this salvation increases in value in our eyes, in as much as everything else decreases in value and becoming rubbish. Nothing can make our losses easy on us, other than our realization of the value of what we received out of salvation.

Dear reader, I wish from all my heart that you do not neglect or disregard this salvation. We care much of our jobs, houses, children, health and many other things but we neglect our eternal life. You may not reject it but you only neglect it, for that, the Apostle Paul says: “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2:3). I ask you today to accept and receive this salvation and do not postpone or disregard. The Apostle Paul says also: “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” (Hebrews 3:15). “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”  (2 Corinthians 6:2). I hope you don’t postpone otherwise you will not escape.

Magdy Samuel