Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia…
1 Peter 1
The Apostle Peter was considered the leader of the Disciples during Jesus’ earthly ministry and after His resurrection. We read of Peter’s ministry in The Acts of the Apostles. Peter preached the first sermon recorded on the day of Pentecost. He has other sermons recorded in Acts by Luke. Though Peter played a significant role in the early church, he wrote only two letters that are included in the New Testament. Let us take a few devotionals to look at Peter as he wrote to Christians who had been run out of Jerusalem into all parts of the Roman Empire. In the introduction, Peter identifies himself and the ones to whom he was writing, naming several cities and areas to where these Christians had been dispersed. In verse 3, Peter identifies God as the One who “has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” God is the cause of every believer’s salvation. There is no other way to salvation than by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone and God is the Cause of each believer’s faith. Peter continues by writing that the Christian’s faith is tested through trials and the “…genuineness of your faith…may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Trials and tribulations are the ways God shows the Christian the strength and depth of his/her faith. Peter states that though the Christian has not seen nor heard Jesus, the Christian believes in Christ and rejoices with great rejoicing and inexpressible joy. This rejoicing and joy in Christ is also present in Christians today. Having established the Christians’ true salvation in Christ, Peter now writes that Christians are to be holy as God Himself is Holy. How is the Christian to do that? By “…being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance…” As new creatures in Christ, Peter says, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God…” Christians, it is good to examine our faith from time to time against what Peter has outlined here in these first verses of this letter. I pray that all Christians take time alone to do so.
Source: S C Ball September 22, 2023
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