Henry: Welcome To Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience.
Day 47
immersed in first Peter,
the Apostle Peter knew that he needed to write a letter to encourage certain
believers who were encountering opposition and persecution from
their unbelieving neighbors.
Such difficult experiences were also impacting these
believers' perspective of God.
In the early sixties, ad Peter was living in Rome, which he calls Babylon, alluding
to the ancient city that oppressed God's people in the First Testament, he had
learned about the difficult situation that the followers of Jesus were facing
in another part of the Roman Empire, the provinces of Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bethia, all in Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey.
Peter now writes to those believers largely made up of Gentiles, encouraging
them in the face of suffering.
He also gives them a clear sense of identity as God's chosen people
and he urges them to continue on the path of holy living.
Peter begins by reminding the believers of the great hope they now have in Christ,
God's new world is being kept in heaven.
For them waiting for the day, it will come down and be revealed as their inheritance.
Next Peter Marvels at the transformation.
Their faith in Jesus has brought about God paid a ransom to save you from the empty
life you inherited from your ancestors.
He says, so now you can show others the goodness of God for he called you out of
the darkness into his wonderful light.
Alluding to the First Testament, Peter tells them, once you had no identity
as a people, now you are God's people.
Then using language that further echoed descriptions of Israel.
He declares you are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession.
However, their new identity has created a number of earthly problems.
Peter says, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge
into the flood of wild and destructive things they do, so they slander you.
The slander may have included accusations that the believers were
disloyal to the emperor because of their allegiance to Jesus.
Peter tells them not to worry about these charges and insults, but rather
to remain devoted to Christ while continuing to be good citizens, they
are to keep their consciences clear, to honor the emperor, and to worship Christ.
That's all the defense they should need.
When it seems like Peter is wrapping up his letter with a doxology all glory
and power to him forever and ever.
Amen.
He continues on with a slightly different theme.
Perhaps he received additional news about these believers before Silas, a
friend who probably served as scribe and Messenger left to deliver it.
Dear friends, Peter continues, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you
are going through as if something strange were happening to you.
These new believers may not have expected their faith in Jesus to lead
so directly to troubles and insults.
Perhaps they were even disappointed in God for the way things were turning out.
Peter tells them that they should actually be very glad for these trials make you
partners with Christ in his suffering.
This recalls Peter's language in an earlier part of the letter.
Christ suffered for you.
He's your example, and you must follow in his steps.
This should remind us of the message of Mark's gospel, most
likely built from Peter's account.
There we saw that Jesus himself pioneered the way of suffering and
service and taught his disciples that they were to follow that path as well.
With this additional treatment and suffering, Peter concludes
his letter after repeating his doxology all power to him forever.
Amen.
He offers one last word of encouragement.
My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you
that what you are experiencing is truly part of God's grace for you.
Stand firm in disgrace.
The letter of first Peter.
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 Bethia.
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, all praise to God, the
father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is by his great mercy that we have been born again because God
raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
Now we live with great expectation and we have a priceless inheritance.
An inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled beyond
the reach of change and decay, and through your faith, God is protecting
you by his power until you receive this salvation which is ready to be
revealed on the last day for all to see.
So be truly glad there is wonderful joy ahead.
Even though you must endure many trials for a little while, these trials
will show that your faith is genuine.
It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold.
Though your faith is far more precious than mere gold, so when your faith
remains strong through many trials, It will bring you much praise and
glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
You love him even though you have never seen him.
Though you do not see him now, you trust him and you rejoice with a glorious in
inexpressible joy, the reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.
This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about.
When they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you, they wondered
what time or situation the spirit of Christ within them was talking about
when he told them in advance about Christ's suffering and his great glory.
Afterward, they were told that their messages were not
for themselves, but for you.
Now this good news has been announced to you by those who preached in the power
of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.
It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly
watching these things happen.
So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control.
Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when
Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.
So you must live as God's obedient children.
Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires.
You didn't know any better then, but now you must be holy in everything you do.
Just as God who chose you is holy for the scriptures, say, you
must be holy because I am holy.
And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites.
He will judge or reward you according to what you do.
So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as temporary
residents for you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty
life you inherited from your ancestors, and it was not paid with mere gold
or silver, which lose their value.
It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless lamb of God.
God chose him as your ransom long before the world began.
But now, in these last days, he has been revealed for your sake, the through
Christ you have come to trust in God, and you have placed your faith and
hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth.
So now you must show sincere love to each other.
As brothers and sisters love each other deeply with all your heart.
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end, your
new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal living
word of God as the scriptures say.
People are like grass.
Their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord remains forever.
And that word is the good news that was preached to you.
So get rid of all evil behavior, be done with all deceit, hypocrisy,
jealousy, and all unkind speech.
Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow
into a full experience of salvation.
Cry out for this nourishment.
Now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness, you are
coming to Christ who is the living cornerstone of God's temple.
He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor,
and you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.
What's more, you are his holy priests through the mediation of Jesus Christ.
You offer spiritual sacrifices that please God as the scriptures
say, I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem chosen for great honor.
And anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.
Yes, you who trust him.
Recognize the honor God has given him, but for those who reject him.
The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone, and he
is the stone that makes people stumble.
The rock that makes them fall.
They stumble because they do not obey God's word, and so they meet
the fate that was planned for them.
But you are not like that.
For you are a chosen people.
You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession.
As a result, you can show others the goodness of God for he called you out of
the darkness into his wonderful light.
Once you had no identity as a people, now you are God's people.
Once you received no mercy, now you have received God's mercy.
This concludes today's Immer reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.