1 Peter series – “Holding onto Hope in a Hostile World”

1 Peter 1:1-2

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. ² 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. May God give you more and more grace and peace.

Not only do you need to know who you are, where you are and why we are here but you also need to know:

4. What you have been given 

Look at the last phrase of verse 2: “May God give you more and more grace and peace” we have:

• Redemption through grace. 

The word grace means gift. Specifically, it refers to God’s unmerited favor poured out on people just like Peter. God pursued Peter with grace, the coward who denied Christ. Peter didn’t just get God’s grace he gave it, he mentions grace in every chapter of this letter. Is grace your go to word, is your life grounded in grace. Oh we sing about amazing grace but do we soak in it. I think we would rather lip sync about grace than live it. Parents you want to grow Godly kids give grace, Husbands you want a godly wife give grace. You are either going to focus on the grace or the groaning. Not only do we have redemption through grace but we have:

• Reconciliation through Peace. 

Our sin didn’t just separate us it caused us to wage war with God. It’s only through the shed blood of Christ that we can be people of peace. Peter reminds us to pursue God’s peace not the counterfeit peace this world offers. You will either focus on peace or you will panic. Christianity has always advanced when under attack. God’s grace and peace are multiplied in the midst of the mess. Believes in Peters day suffered because of their stand for the Savior and so will we. You can get angry and argumentative or you can chose to live an attractive and appealing life. Look adversity is the Almighty’s specialty. This week I want to challenge you to live for Christ in the midst of a crooked culture. If you are saved spend sometime this week sowing the seeds of salvation. Share your faith with a friend, share Christ with a coworker. Second choose to live out your convictions don’t cower to the culture. If you’ve been compromising; come back to conviction, don’t be afraid of being an alien. If you have allowed yourself to become calloused because of the culture then choose to share Christs compassion. Live in God’s peace as you live out His grace.

1 Peter series – “Holding onto Hope in a Hostile World”

1 Peter 1:1-2

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. ² 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. May God give you more and more grace and peace.

Not only do you need to know who you are and where you are but you also need to:

3. Know Why you are here

Verse 2 says: “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” Don’t miss the truth and teaching of the trinity. You see before Peter ever talks to us about what we are called to do he reminds us what God has done.  Scripture says that God: 

• Sees you 

You are not invisible to God, He is fully aware of who you are, He knows you and not only does he see you but He:

• Seeks You – “chose you long ago”

One of the reasons we work so hard to try and fit in to this world is that we desperately want to be wanted. But look what Peter is saying, you are not just wanted you have been chosen by the Creator, you don’t have to chase after acceptance from this culture. God not only saw you He sought you. Can you say that about society. Society seeks you if you are popular or have possessions and power, But the Savior Jesus sought you while you were still a sinner. When no one wanted you, He did and He still does. God didn’t just see you and seek you He: 

• Sanctified you by His Spirit. 

To be sanctified means to be set apart for God’s exclusive use. You are a saint, you have been sprinkled by the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus gave everything for you, He gave His life, His love, He laid it all down so that we could be forgiven and free. Free to what, pursue a life of pleasure, to follow your own plan, no free to praise Him and proclaim His plan of peace to the world. It’s not about where you live that matters but who you are living for. Peter says that the result of redemption should be a life of obedience. A life that is on mission for the Master. You were saved to serve. Who are you serving, you have been set apart for a life of significance, to serve the King of the Universe but many of us have surrender to a life of self. We were not set free to be slaves to self. Are you going to live a meaningful life or a mediocre one?