The Promise and the Call (1 Peter Ch. 1)

1 Peter Chapter 1 is a wonderful chapter which you could simply put into two sections: (1) the promise of eternal life and (2) a call for us to be holy and live holy lives because of our salvation.

The Promise:  Verses 3 and 4 say "...he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ ... and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade..." This promise should give us hope that we have salvation and that it cannot be taken away. In fact (v.5), we are "shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation..." this is awesome! because of this promise, we are called to live holy lives...

The Call:  Verses 13 through 16 deal with this call to be holy, asking that we "prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed..." Because of our salvation, we should strive to be holy in this way. Many of the people that Peter was writing to were using their salvation as an excuse to live worldly, sinful lives. He calls us not to do that.

v.17-19 deal with the fact that we are strangers in this world. I think that the philosophy (and bumper stickers and clothing line) that we are "not of this world" comes partly from this book... The concept is that we live for Christ... and live holy lives because of his promise of eternal life - not in order to gain that eternal life, which comes by grace and not by works, but BECAUSE of that promise we strive to be holy.

Blessings...

-atg-