1 Peter 1:3–9

Series “When life gets hard”

Last week, we saw that Peter was writing to believers who were suffering, scattered, and struggling to remain faithful in a hostile world. And that has not stopped. For us in this country the hostility is not so overt, but covert, it's subtle, and we don’t realize it because we are not beaten for our faith, or thrown in prison. by drawing people's attention from the truth to that which seems like truth.

Peter reminds us that following Jesus has always come with a cost. Our hope is not rooted in this temporary life/world—it is rooted in the eternal promises of God. We learned that our identity is not found in relationships, success, or the comfort of approval, but in the fact that we are God's chosen people and citizens of a heavenly kingdom. Shandel in whom christ dwells.

Most importantly, Peter showed us that our salvation is secure because it rests in the completed work of the trinity, the Triune God: chosen by the Father, sanctified by the Spirit, and redeemed by the Son. No matter how difficult life becomes, as a believer you can stand firm because God knows you, God is shaping you, God sees you and God has secured your eternal future through Jesus Christ.

(3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, (5) who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

We are about to spend the next few months discovering…“How to stand firm and live faithfully for Jesus when life gets difficult.”

I Peter 1:1-2 - right after James before 1 John which we did too.

The letter was written around 64 AD, during the reign of Emperor Nero.

History: Written by Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ

Originally named Simon He addresses the letter as Peter, which means “rock”, the name the Lord gave him

“Prayer is not preparation for the battle; prayer is the battle.”

2 Cor 10:3-6 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.