| Tell me if this sounds familiar. In 1 Peter, the apostle Peter writes to Christians living as exiles or pilgrims in difficult and unsettled times. Kinda sounds like today, right? We should lean in and take Peter’s words very seriously because it’s God’s Word for us and because this is the writing of a man who walked with Jesus and saw His resurrected body from the dead. It’s easy, for me at least, to skim over the greetings in New Testament letters, but the Holy Spirit won’t let me pass up 1 Peter 1:1-2. Look at it with me here: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” ESV Peter, an eyewitness to Jesus’ resurrection, addresses his letter to suffering Christians. He reminds them—and us—of three important truths: 1. God chose you. He knows you. He loves you. “Foreknowledge” means God knew and loved us before the world began. He chose to save us and make us part of His family through Jesus. He entered into a covenant relationship with us (Romans 11:2 & Jeremiah 30:22).It’s not simply that God knew the events that would take place before they did, well because, of course, He did, He’s God! It goes deeper than that.We’ve talked about this before in regards to Psalm 139, but God really cares for you, sister, so much so that the next two points are also our reality! 2. You’re being changed by the Holy Spirit. Notice the connection in verses 1 and 2 where God’s love choosing to make us a part of His family is so closely related to the work He is doing in our lives.The Holy Spirit is at work within us, transforming us to be more like Jesus. Philippians 1:6 reassures us that God will complete the good work He started in us.What a comfort! Later in 1 Peter 1, it says we are to be holy as He is holy. He doesn’t leave us without help to figure that out. He is at work. More on this in a second.You can be confident today that God is forming you. That is God’s will for your life, your sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3). 3. You’re part of the New Covenant through Jesus.The reference to the “sprinkling with his blood” connects us to the Old Testament rituals and reminds us that Jesus’ sacrifice brings us into a new relationship with God.I can’t fully wrap my brain around these words but I do know the sacrifice of Jesus has changed everything!We weren’t saved by the Lord to figure out holiness and obedience on our own. The way John Piper says it is like this, “Jesus bought our obedience.” We have confidence today in the blood of Jesus that saved us from our sin, when we could never have saved ourselves, and makes our present and future reality secure in Him. Now that we’ve looked briefly over these three points as a source of confidence, check out how the New Living Translation puts it: “This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.” Praise God! These three truths gave the elect exiles Peter is writing to great confidence in trying times. Why else would Peter begin his letter with such beautiful truth? The same is true for believers today through Christ.Do you see the Trinity at work there? In each different role, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit accomplish these grand and mighty purposes for us. God foreknew us, the Spirit changes us, and Jesus Christ made a way for us to be obedient by purchasing us from our old futile ways, giving us new life. He is our Living Hope! May we walk in confidence and share with a world desperate to see anything good that Jesus is worthy and the Gospel changes everything. |
| Questions for reflection: 1. Read over John 6:60-70 (or honestly all of John 6) and ask yourself what you see about the character of God. Who is Jesus? What does He do? Then, zone in on verses 68 and 69. What do you think about Peter’s response to Jesus? Is this your response to Jesus? 2. Take some time to mediate on Christ’s victory over death for you. We know the Gospel changes everything! This first song and this second song are beautiful ways to spend a moment in worship, praising God for what He has done. 3. How do these three truths give you confidence for the day and age we live in? When our confidence is not rooted in Christ, we feel anxious and fearful of what is to come. But when we fill our mind with these truths, we know He is at work and we trust Him. When we trust Him, we truly live for Him. 4. How can you use these three truths to encourage another sister in Christ? Pray for the sister that came to mind and the ways you can share these truths with her. Let us stir one another up to greater love for Christ. 5. How can you share these truths with someone who hasn’t heard to Gospel yet? We have so much hope in Jesus and we know people who don’t have Christ really need Him. Look over 1 Peter 3 and pray over the people the Lord brings to mind and pray for opportunities to share with them. |
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