1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
This was a greeting to the believers in those days, the letters were sent to the above cities. I love ❤️ the way Paul greets his brethren with such love and authority.
This is a greeting but a good example of how we are to always greet one another. However, we are also supposed to be purposeful about our surroundings. Paul here in his letters is speaking to the Christians in those lands for that time.
However, I feel that this can easily be applied today in these dire times. Where Christians forgot their first ❤️ love Jesus Christ. They fall prey to the condition of this world 🌍 instead of engaging and correcting all the false teachings being taught.
Paul here is telling them in his greeting without being harsh to them who they are in short. Paul establishes their position in Christ first and then lets them know what the position is that they hold and how important it is. Paul tells them that they have the foreknowledge of the Father God through the sanctification of Jesus Christ.
This is clearly to lay down a foundation about the things he wants to address. So, let’s read the rest of the text from Paul for us to have a clear understanding of what is being conveyed. I truly believe that it speaks for itself.
1 Peter 1:3-25 - ESV
3. 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, 4. to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, I want to interject here this point; Paul here is making it very clear to me that our treasures and eternal bodies are held up for us in heaven. However, it does not say there will be no glory here but there are few and hard to attain. So, this wealth and health prosperity gospel that is being presented today is the same false teaching Paul was challenged with then as well.
5. who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7. so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9. obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11. inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. 13. Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15. but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16. since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." 17. And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18. knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19. but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21. who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23. since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24. for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25. but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
Verse 17 shows us why so if we truly are in Christ Jesus how we should act and react to the matters that are being portrayed in the world today, and silence is not an option. We are to walk with a firm foundation of His word in our hearts so that we are not led astray. Therefore, we see evil being idolized we must speak out in truth with love even if we are vilified. God calls us to speak out against evil even when it is not comfortable.
However, this is not what we see today from people who call themselves Christian. Do they do the complete opposite of God's words who does that remind you that their god is Satan?
I will leave you with that in hopes that it helps you get a better understanding of how we should apply this book today.
As always, I hope all who passed through my blog are inspired and enlightened. May God richly bless all who pass through this web page.
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