I Peter 1-5
This first letter of Peter is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I highly recommend spending a good deal of time here, reading this book slowly and repeatedly, meditating on what the Lord has to say to us through Peter, finding hope, contemplating what God has done for us in and through Jesus, grasping hold of our inheritance, receiving encouragement in the midst of suffering, and looking forward to the full revelation of Christ and our salvation in Him. Yes, read this book again and again — and resolve to live accordingly. You will not regret it.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
I Peter 1:3-5
Did you catch that? We have a living hope. We have an inheritance, one that cannot be destroyed or even tainted. It is kept in heaven for us, and we are being guarded by God’s power. And the fullness of our salvation is yet to be revealed to the world. Therefore, live in this Reality. All sorts of challenges and sufferings may come our way, but live in this Reality. Turn away from the world; turn away from your former sin; and live in this new Reality. Look to Jesus as your example in suffering, living in this Reality. Submit to authority and to one another in patient endurance, living in this Reality. Suffer for righteousness sake, if that should be God’s will, living in this Reality. Stand firm against the devil, living in this Reality.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, Who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
I Peter 5:8-10
See also: