1 Peter 1
1. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, sends this letter to God's people scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia who have been called out by God.
God's people includes Christian Jews who have been chased away from their home in Israel and Gentiles who are scattered across the earth away from their true home in heaven.
Paul's team wanted to go into Bithynia but the Lord closed that door. Later, Peter had some ministry in this area. We need to be careful to only go where God tells us to go.
They tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. Acts 16:7
2. Who God the Father knew and planned long ago to be made holy by His Spirit that they might obey Jesus Christ and be brought close by His blood, may you know more and more of God's grace and peace.
God's plan does not mean that we were created to be robots. The best way to understand God's plan is to see that God planned to save all those who respond to the Gospel.
3. Thank God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, that in His great mercy. We have been born again into a life full of confidence because of Christ's rising again from the dead.
Peter saw the empty tomb. He is telling us these things as an eyewitness.
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is empty and you are still in your sins. 1 Corinthians 15:17
4. You can have confidence about your inheritance that cannot be changed or destroyed, which is waiting in heaven for you.
Those who do not know Christ do not have any inheritance. The devil does not care if we go to church and live an empty Christian life, he tries to convince us that we have no inheritance -so why bother getting too serious about this new life?
5. Now you are guarded by the power of God working through your faith until the day when you enter into the salvation that will be revealed at the last day.
Faith releases power to overcome the problems of life and the things of the world.
Then said they unto Him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent. John 6:28 – 29
6 – 7
This is your joy, even though for certain time you are being tested by all kinds of trials. This test your faith which is better than gold because even gold has to be tested by fire. This test is planned and will bring praise and glory and honor in the day when Jesus reveals Himself.
We do not like to think that there is anything in us which needs to be cleaned out by fire, but the longer we live we are surprised to find out how many things we still need to work on.
Each man's work will be shown, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 1 Corinthians 3:13 – 14
8. And even though you have never seen Him you love from now you trust Him without being able to see and even now He brings you joy that words cannot express this joy is like the glories of heaven.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. John 20:29
9. You are receiving the results of your faith -salvation working in your own souls.
We are not only saved for heaven but our mind, will and emotions are souls saved.
10. The prophets of the Old Testament tried their best to learn about the salvation they prophesied of the grace that has come to you.
They pierced my hands and my feet. Psalm 22:16
I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. Isaiah 50:6
They shall look upon Me whom they have pierced . Zechariah 12:10
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
11. They tried to find out when and how these things would happen as they prophesied the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
God showed Daniel the exact date that Jesus officially would come to Jerusalem.
I, Daniel, saw in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. Daniel 9:2
Seventy weeks are set on your people and on the holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins. Daniel 9:24
Know therefore and understand that from the going out to rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of the Christ, a prince, there will be seven weeks. Daniel 9:25
Artaxerxes decree to rebuild Jerusalem - March 5, 444 space B. C.
69 weeks x 7 X 360 day years = 173,880 days which is March 30, 33 A.D. and the exact day that Jesus officially came to Jerusalem.
Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off but not for Himself. Daniel 9:26
Glory comes after suffering.
12. It was made clear to them that they were seeing things that were not for themselves but for you, these are the things that have been made clear to you by those who brought the Gospel to you through the Holy Spirit -and these are things that even the angels want to understand.
But you, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Daniel 12:4
These things are written for a generation that will come . Psalm 22:30
This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. Psalm 102:18
13. So tighten your belts and live as men who know what they are doing. Put all of your confidence on the grace that will be yours when Jesus shows Himself again on the earth.
In those days, men wore robes long robes and they had to tuck the robe inside their belt if they wanted to work. We need to get everything out of the way if it gets in the way of working for Christ.
14. Live as children who obey God. Do not let your lives be shaped by the things you wanted in the days when you were foolish.
I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. Philippians 3:8
15 – 16
Be holy in every part of your lives because the One who has called you is Himself holy. Because, as the book of Leviticus says, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
The word “holy” means completely pure. If a cup of water only had one small drop of poison in it -would you want to drink it? God also does not want one drop of the world's poison in His Heaven. See Leviticus 19:2.
17. If you pray to the Father who judges men by their actions (and not by seeing one man as better than another) then you should spend your time on earth with holy respect.
We need to respect men as God's servants, but there are some ministry leaders who have become dictators. Their ministry is very much like our modern “cancel culture.”
If you do not have the same convictions they have then they will cancel you. If you are not sitting under a leader who loves you and sees that his life is not for himself but for you - it may be time to ask the Lord to show you another group of Christians who love each other.
18. You must see that you have been ransomed from the empty way of life that was passed on to you by your traditions. You are not ransomed by anything that is in this passing world.
Many of the traditions of this world are empty. Make sure that your celebration is more Christian than worldly.
19. The ransom was paid by the blood of Christ pure and spotless Lamb of sacrifice.
Only Peter, John and Isaiah call Jesus a lamb.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter. Isaiah 53:7
I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain. Revelation 5:6
20. Christ's death was planned for this reason before the world began, but it was for you that it was revealed in these last days.
They shall come and proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn, that He has done it. Psalm 22:31
The wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 1 Corinthians 2:8
21. God raised Him from the dead and gave Him heavenly glory, so that your faith and confidence might be in only in God.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 2 Corinthians 4:7
22. Now, because you have obeyed the truth, your souls are clean so that you can have real love for each other from the heart.
Even a dog can tell the difference between true love and fake love.
Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. Proverbs 27:6
See 1 Corinthians 13.
23. You are not just human beings now, but sons of God through the living Word of the living God.
Our bodies are getting older but...
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16
A new body from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens"
2 Corinthians 5:1
24. Isaiah said, “All flesh is like grass and the glory of the flesh is like the flower of grass that will withers and the flower falls, but the Word of the Lord remains forever.”
God did not make this world to last forever. Many scientists (who want to destroy the knowledege of God) use facts such as the changing of the earth's magnetic field and the effect of pollution as a way to control people. The fact that the earth will not last forever should bring men to God.
25. This is the Word that is the message of the Gospel that was brought to you.
Pay attention and see that they did not bring something else. If somebody lived in the middle of nowhere and all they knew was that Jesus is the Son of God, who died and rose again to give them new life - would that be enough?
God would not be good if someday He told this person that they should have been taught only certain ideas of so-called Bible experts if they wanted to come into His heaven. If there is something else that they should have known -do you not think that God could show it to them?