Greetings to you, my friend, on this fine Friday morning that the LORD has given us! And praise Him as we come to the end of this week!Read I Peter 1:3 – 9.
According to the Gospel accounts, the disciple Peter, among all of Jesus’ disciples, seemed to be the one that was most emotionally expressive. And Peter was the disciple that received a personal restoration of relationship with Jesus (John 21) after having denied the Lord. Peter was therefore well equipped to empathize with and encourage the Believers to which his letter was directed – the displaced and suffering early Church in Asia Minor.
As you read this powerful opening to his first letter to these Believers, notice the amazing words of encouragement and assurance that Peter offers them:
Peter opens by praising God for His abundant mercy as demonstrated by both Jesus AND the living hope that the resurrection of Jesus Christ establishes for every Believer.
Peter then points out that every Believer has an inheritance reserved for him or her in heaven. And this inheritance must be amazing, because Peter doesn’t tell us what, exactly, the inheritance is! Instead, he conveys what our inheritance is not – it is incorruptible; it is undefiled; and it never fades away.
Next, Peter reminds the Believers (including each one of us) that we are “kept by the power of God through faith for salvation”. What a marvelous declaration! The mighty and eternal power of God is establishing us in faith even to the point of our salvation. According to today’s reading, we all should “greatly rejoice” in this assurance.
Peter then acknowledges the trails that all Believers must face. Despite those trials, he reminds us that even though our faith is being tested by fire, our genuine faith is much more precious than gold; AND, our faith will be found to praise, honor, and give glory to Our Lord Jesus when He is revealed.
And finally, Peter closes out this portion of his letter with a simple but powerful reminder for each of us: that the END of our faith is the SALVATION of our souls!
My brother, every one of us is headed somewhere – and as Believers, you and I are simply passing through this life on our way to be eternally with Jesus. And, according to today’s scripture, God’s power establishes our faith as we walk through the trials we must inevitably face while we are here in this world; but, we have an amazing inheritance waiting for us when we get to heaven.
Thank You, God, for encouraging me through Your Word today! And thank You, God, for giving me the saving faith that I need to walk through every trial that I face, until I am safely in the presence of my Lord and Savior, Jesus! Amen!
