It is possible the original readers of 1 Peter wondered about the status of their salvation. They knew God had promised the Jewish people a return from the exile, a return to the “promised land” and a righteous and just king to rule over them in a time of prosperity. Yet the Jewish people remain in exile, Rome rules over them with an iron fist and the political circumstances of the early 60s would seem to indicate that some sort of war between Rome and Jerusalem was inevitable.
The original readers believed Jesus was in fact the messiah and that his death and resurrection had inaugurated a new age. They were awaiting the return of the Messiah to establish his kingdom in Jerusalem. But instead of a glorious return of the Messiah, the original readers of this letter were suffering oppression and persecution as a result of their faith in Jesus as Messiah. It is unlikely this was the sort of systematic persecution by Rome that would later be the case, but it was no less shocking given the hope they have in Jesus.
Does the persecution mean that they have not inherited salvation? Have they put their faith in Jesus in vain? Peter’s point in these opening verses is that the believer in Jesus has a new status (they are born again into God’s family) and that their inheritance is kept for them by God himself. In fact, by its very nature, their inheritance is unable to fade or become worthless.
In response to these fears, Peter first describes salvation as “an unfading inheritance” (1:3-5). Peter is writing to Jewish Christians who are in fact suffering for their faith, so in this introductory prayer he introduces the main themes of the letter. The Christian will suffer in this age, but that suffering is not an indication of punishment. In fact, genuine salvation is completely secure because it is kept by God himself.
Second, Peter says we are born again into “a living hope.” While “born again” is a common way to describe Christians in the contemporary church, Peter is the only writer in the New Testament to use the verb ἀναγεννάω to refer to the spiritual experience of the believer, although the concept appears in 2 Cor 5, for example, and is implied in several adoption passages (we are children of God, etc.).
All of this language refers to the Holy Spirit’s regeneration of the believer. Peter says here that we have “a great salvation” not simply because we get to go to heaven someday, but because we have been fundamentally changed through the power of the Spirit of God and the resurrection of Jesus. Ernest Best points out that this should not be reduced to a metaphor. It is not the case that believer’s experience is “like being born again.” We are in fact born again (Best, 1 Peter, 75).
Third, this regeneration to new life is through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It is somewhat surprising that he does not say through the blood of Jesus, or the Cross. Peter’s focus is on the coming of the new covenant in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead; since he lives, we also can have life. Peter described the hope we have on the basis of the resurrection of Jesus and the regeneration of the spirit as an inheritance. This is a very biblical way to describe salvation. In the Hebrew Bible, Israel was redeemed from their slavery in Egypt and brought to the “promised land.” That land was their inheritance, promised to Abraham in Gen 12. In the New Testament Paul describes our salvation as an inheritance (1 Cor 6:9, 15:50, Col 3:24, Titus 3:7; cf., Heb 1:14).
In our increasingly post-Christian America, it is possible some more conservative evangelicals may have the same questions as Peter’s original readers. When is Jesus going to return and judge those people! How should this description of our salvation in 1 Peter change the way we look at the changing role of Christianity in contemporary culture?
I do not feel that Christians today think like 1 Peter teaches, especially in areas of us being truly changed by the Spirit of God, and that God holds our inheritance. Because he holds it no matter what happens to us in this life, and sufferings are not a punishment, we should greet the trials that come to us as we live separate from society. They are to be expected since we are now living as children of God which means we are made new, unlike the world we live in that has not surrendered to God. 1 Peter 1: 7 says that the trials come to prove our genuineness in our faith. Our culture today is based on being comfortable, and suffering is unwelcome to the point of alleviating it in whatever manner we can. We also doubt our ability to conquer sinful patterns because we do not believe in the power of the Holy Spirit in us, which means that we have God on our side and his power to tap into. Jobes says that believers should view these things in light of, “Although believers share in suffering by following the example of Christ, they also share in the sure victory of the one who has gone ahead of them and should therefore be encouraged to persevere in faithfulness.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
“In our increasingly post-Christian America, it is possible some more conservative evangelicals may have the same questions as Peter’s original readers. When is Jesus going to return and judge those people! How should this description of our salvation in 1 Peter change the way we look at the changing role of Christianity in contemporary culture?”
You bring up a great point. I believe we have the opportunity to see more true conversions as Christianity leaves the center square. Christianity spread the best under persecution.
As Americans we now live in a mission field which is much different than a Christian nation. Because we live in a mission field it is better. It is a better opportunity to bear real Kingdom Eternal Fruit.
We face this opportunity with the type of assurance you illustrated from the mouth of The Apostle Peter.
I think that today some of the conservative Christians spend so much time judging others on their own time that they neglect to remember that Jesus and God are truly the only people who can judge anyone especially based on their salvation. As Peter describes salvation and in our post-Christian society we need to hang on to the truths that Jesus has said and others have written on throughout the Bible. As Peter says our salvation is an “unfading inheritance” and we should do well to remember that is a valid statement. Our salvation is an inheritance and once we accept it that it cannot be taken away. It is from God and it is a gift, an inheritance as Peter says. Peter uses different word choice than others who write on these topics, however we should look at the way he writes from his point of view but we can use these even today. Peter speaks on the resurrection and of salvation as not changing and today I feel that we should spend more time looking at how Christianity is changing through Peter’s eyes. Even as the Christian role in society changes, truly God and Jesus do not. They are and they always will be and they haven’t changed although the Christianity in society continually seems to have a smaller and smaller presence, but salvation truly doesn’t nor does the way you attain it. Peter writes on truths that are even still valid today and we should look at it from that point of view.
We need to realize that Christianity is not about judging others for the actions that they have done or the attitudes that they might have towards fellow believers, but rather the Christian religion is about accepting those who are different from us and allowing God to use us as an avenue to change the culture around us. If we focus on the wrathful judgment that God will bring to the people who displease him, just as the Westboro Baptist Church does, than we are losing out on a significant aspect of God’s personality, that of forgiveness and mercy. Christians do not need to worry about the evil aspects of this degrading world, for this world is perishable and will be cleansed away when its time has come, but should instead focus on the eternal unfading treasure that our acceptance into God’s family has given us. When we focus on this unfading treasure, the evils and tribulations that come with living in this world lose much of their significance. The presidential race matters little to me in the end, because whoever wins the presidency has little impact on my eternal salvation. Given this I would still want to be an agent of God’s will in this world, bringing change and light to the stagnant and darkness, but I know that the outcomes of the world’s decisions do will not diminish my reward in heaven.
I tend to agree with those who have posted above, we like to sit in judgment of our fellow Christians and non-Christians alike. I think that for many believers in this day and age, the issue of salvation is only skin deep merely stopping at the “I’m not going to hell” level and goes no further. According to Peter there should be an evident and core deep change in the believer because the believer has been born again into a new state of being through the transformative power of Jesus. I am a firm believer that persecution is a very real side effect of Christianity, simply because Jesus said it will happen to us because it happened to Him and if we follow Him we should expect the same. The Bible never promises that the Christian life will be easy, but rather that we should expect persecution.
Maybe I’m not understanding the question correctly, but I don’t think the role of Christianity is changing, but maybe the application and context in which its being lived. If our country and culture is moving further and further away from christian values and a christian world view, Christians are going to look more like the believers that peter was writing too. Our hope and belief in the Gospel is going to need to be strong. Our joy is going to have to come from the fact that this world is temporary and we will one day be with our Lord in Heaven forever. The hope that the Gospel gives that is talked about in the Bible will be so much more real. I think we as 21st century Christians living in America cant even begin to understand to think of the salvation through Jesus as our only hope, and all we have to fall back on. We need to work in order to have that mentality.
I thought your idea of Christians today having to work in order to have Jesus as our only hope was a really interesting take. There are things that get in the way of Jesus being our only hope, especially in a society where everything is about the “self” and about what we want, what makes us happy. That can make us put our hope in ourselves for security rather than Jesus. Although I do think its definitely harder for us today to have Jesus as our only hope, putting our hope in other things aka having idols is an idea that has been around for a really long time. I’m sure that despite persecution and suffering, that would’ve been a big struggle for the early Christians too. I would say that it is more of a sin issue rather than a generational issue. Some ways that we can work on Jesus being our only hope in times of suffering and persecution and remove the idols in our lives is to relinquish control over those things and give it to the Lord. An example that comes to mind is finance. Wealth can be a big idol for people, but a way to give up control and put your trust in the Lord is to be generous with your money and trust that God will provide for you. Jesus needs to be our only hope because everything else will disappoint us but the Lord stays the same and consistent forever.
I suppose I am not sure how to compare our current Post-Christian America with that of Peter’s original readers. They were facing major oppression, like you have mentioned in this blog post, “Rome rules over them with an iron fist.” In America, the most oppression that we see has to do with the Starbucks red cup or maybe a dirty look from someone who does not agree with us. We have not really faced the oppression that Peter’s original readers have. Some conservative Christian’s may be eager for Jesus to come back and judge people, but those same Christian’s probably have not tried to show Christ’s love to those people either. I understand that Peter’s original readers would have been eager, because they most likely lived in fear, but today we have it easy. We are comfortable. When the time comes that we do start to receive this kind of oppression, we should look to what Peter has said. We should stand strong in our faith through the circumstances.
-McKenzie McCord-
McKenzie,
Post-Christain America is absolutely different from back then because we have it way easier than the people described in 1 Peter as you stated. And it is definitely hard to compare considering they we were oppressed and we were not. This is a tough question to answer because it is just causing me to ask more questions. Honestly, I think rather than the role of Christianity changing it is adapting to the times of today. Everything is changing or adapting in America and it has been apparent the last couple of years. We have been more accepting I feel like but there still people in this country that try to oppress others. We must stick with what Peter has written and put all of our trust in God. Jobes states in her book that, ““In the context of post-Christian America, our task is to preach the gospel and to proclaim the truths of God’s Word” (Jobes, 331). This right here shows that we need to stand up for our faith and our selves in this post-Christian America.
McKenzie,
You are absolutely correct and I’d agree with when you said we have it way easier than what the people did back when the book of 1 Peter was written. We have like you described it, have gotten way too comfortable in the sense of living in a world that is “easy”. I also really liked it when you said that we as humans and children of Christ need to stand strong in our faith through some tough circumstances. In Philippians 1:27 NIV, it says that, ” Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.” Basically, the first word that comes to mind for me is trust. Wen need to be more trusting in Christ that even though the really tough times in life that he is in control.
-Chris
I can understand why the Jewish people who first read 1st Peter were extremely ready for Jesus to return. They were being ruled over in a brutal manner by Rome. They were suffering and wanted to be rescued. Like Jobes explains in the text, “the early Roman period saw extensive expansion of the roman empire to lands that then needed to be integrated culturally and administratively under Roman governance. (Pg. 281). Therefore, the Roman government was trying to control the expanding grounds with a lot of force. Today in America we are fortunate enough to not be ruled over “with an iron fist.” However, there is still suffering of many. People never understand why they or a loved one receive cancer, why a loved one dies, school shootings, natural disasters, etc. All of this is still suffering. God never tells His believers they will not suffer here on earth. Of course, we are not in a getting ruled over harshly by Rome, but there are trials in which are difficult to overcome. I believe that Christians now can be judgmental of other Christians or non-Christians. It is not our place to judge. We must share God’s word with others. Our salvation will not change. We will still suffer in the world today and hard times will come but this is not a punishment that God has given us. In the end we are saved through salvation.
This is such an encouraging passage in 1 Peter. Amongst all the suffering and persecution Peter speaks so boldly with such hope. The resurrection of Jesus brings hope and security of their new birth and the fact that they too will be resurrected just as Jesus was. The readers can be confident because of their inheritance that is eternal. The readers can persevere because of the knowledge and security that they are shielded through their faith and by God’s power. Today in our age we are also given this hope. Christians are saved through Jesus’s death and resurrection, giving us a great hope. We ought not to worry about when Jesus will come and judge “those people” (Philip Long). We need to be strong in our faith, persevering, and have great hope, because of our new birth and inheritance. “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1Peter 3:15). Our hope will show others our faith and confidence.
Throughout time we have always been clouded by earthly possessions and things we can achieve and claim. In 1 Peter, the first few verses remind us believers that our true claim is in Heaven, when we are finally united with our heavenly father. 1 Peter speaks about status when the author speaks about “you” in 1 Peter 1:4. The status is that of the person that acknowledges God the Father (Jobes, 302). It is also chosen through the works of the Holy Spirit as Jobes claims. This inheritance clearly has a specific “people” that it fits and is provided too. The only inheritance that we should be concerned with is in heaven. Yet it seems to today we are consumed with materialism, always looking for new ways to obtain and consume in our flesh. The author is reminding us, encouraging us, to remember that our reward for believing, for pursuing, for acknowledging God and letting the Holy Spirit work through us. It is clear that 1 Peter 1:3-5 is meant to encourage the believers to endure the world, and live for the inheritance that our heavenly father provides for us.
What the Christians worry about in the opening of 1 Peter is not too different from what Christians worry about in the modern age. They are insecure in their faith and they expected the world to be a little better after coming to Christ, not worse. Why are bad things happening to me if God is in control? Am I being punished for my former way of life? Maybe for those early Christians they started to doubt if Jesus was who he said he was. If we were to stop reading after verse 5, we would miss a whole lot of important details that would give us clarity into the purpose of suffering. At the end of the section, in verse 9, it says, “…obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Our salvation is not temporal, and it is not earthly. It is meant to be eternal and with heavenly rewards. Peter says it is “kept in heaven for you”. To look at trials as punishments would be to miss the opportunity for praise and glory that we can give to God, like we see in verse 7. Jesus, in his ministry, never said our lives would be easy if we followed him, a few times he personally asks people to give up everything to follow him. We aren’t meant to be the same person after salvation. We are reborn (v. 3). We have a new identity and new life in Christ that should cause us to be transformed in the way we live our lives (Jobes, 330).
I think it would be safe to say that most Christians ask the same questions that Long (2018) poses: Does persecution mean that salvation is not valid/inherited? Is our faith in vain? We often feel that unless things are safe and good, that we are doing something wrong. The Jewish people were in exile awaiting the promised Messiah, they continually were expressing the pains and sorrows for waiting for God to establish his kingdom in Jerusalem.. Their emotional suffering is on an entirely different level than modern Christians can comprehend because we have always had the “living hope” that Christ ensures for his followers. “(Peter) had come to realize that through rejection, suffering, and execution, Jesus was fulfilling the messianic role of God’s Suffering Servant that centuries before had been prophesied by Isaiah (Isa. 52:13 – 53:12)” (Jobes 350). The challenge that Jewish readers, and modern Christians, had was to shift their focus from their human experiences and timetable and to remember God’s promise of restoration and renewal. As we all know, it is not easy or pleasant to experience suffering or turmoil without any obvious or tangible schedule of hope. Clinging to the real promise of hope is relevant to all believers, but our human feelings and temporary understanding/reflection on our situations cloud and hinder our trust in God.
It is very easy for us to get our expectations, wants, and desires mixed up with our faith and what God’s plan is. People tend to think that once they become Christians or become saved their lives will change and become perfect as if there were no problems in the world, but life is often very different than this. As you have mentioned, the Christians who were the original readers of 1 Peter were experiencing tremendous persecution and their lives were anything but comfortable. It was nothing like they would have thought it would be and nothing like many people today think it’s like. Regardless of our status as believers, the world was still and is still corrupted by sin. Therefore, pain and suffering are a part of life. Especially in the times of 1 Peter, Christians did not live a cushy life. In some ways perhaps, their lives were worse than non-believers of the time.
The difference is that they and we have a hope for an unfading and eternal inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-5). Being born again may not change our physical situation on earth. We may not automatically receive tons of money and picture-perfect lives, but we are changed spiritually in a radical way. We are born again with the ability to have salvation. This has been given to us by the power of the Holy Spirit through the death and resurrection of Christ. We will suffer, but this inevitable suffering is independent of our salvation.
I think this passage of 1 Peter 1:3-5 is an incredibly encouraging passage, and I think this is one of those passages that answer the sometimes common question of Christianity that asks: “If you had to pick one verse to summarize faith and salvation, what would it be?” I think this verse is a potential candidate as a sufficient answer to this question. This verse is incredibly encouraging to the eyes and ears of believers from all generations, and this is because verse four of the passage clearly states that the inheritance that correlates with salvation can not and will not go away. Peter claims that this inheritance of salvation is waiting in heaven for believers in Christ.
To me, it is completely reasonable that the original readers of 1 Peter questioned the status and longevity of their salvation inheritance. If you think about it, Christians in today’s society question this often. One of my family members recently sent me a book that is titled: “Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart: How to Know You Are Saved.” Though I have not fully completed the book, I plan to. However, I know that J.D. Greear discusses the idea that he once struggled with understanding the status of his salvation, and he learned that many people struggle with what is called the “lack of assurance” epidemic (Greear, 2018, p. n.d.). Greear (2018) decided to write this book because he understood that others around him shared these same thoughts and worries that are centered around a lack of assurance about their faith and salvation (p. n.d.). This highlights the fact that many people share the same thoughts and worries of the original readers of 1 Peter. Though our reasons as to why we feel this lack of assurance may vary from persecution, our own sins, etc., it is a common worry amongst Christian believers, so the original readers of 1 Peter are not out of line with this worry.
However, the original readers of 1 Peter would have been pleased to learn that Christianity and one’s faith walk is full of ups and downs. The severe persecution that they faced was just another example of these downs in the ups and downs. Walking in faith is not all flowers and roses. We will be challenged, tested, and perhaps persecuted. Yesterday, March 8th, 2020, I attended church at Berkeley Hills Church in Grand Rapids. My uncle, Dan Kregel, gave a message, and a key aspect of his message was that when we abide in Jesus Christ, pruning will occur (2019). Pruning is another example of Christians being tested and worked on in order to offer the Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians. When we are tested, or in the case of the readers of 1 Peter, when we are persecuted, it is an opportunity for God to prune us and mold us. It does not mean that we are losing our inheritance of salvation and eternal life with the Lord in heaven.
Though Christians will not lose their inheritance of salvation, it does not provide them with a pass to act however they would like. Christians are still called to live out a life that honors Christ. This should be the result of a Christian’s life, for this passage indicates that life in Christ involves Christians undergoing “a new birth into a living hope.” Though this does not take away the sinful nature of Christians, this regeneration should also affect how we live and act as Christians.
Greear, J. D. (2018). Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group.
The second section, on being born again, stood out to me because I recently heard a discussion/teaching on this.
I found it interesting that the Peter is the only one who uses this particular verbiage. It is something that I would like to further research.
I also appreciate the reminder that being born again is not a metaphor. But we are indeed born again, to a new life – or as the blog says, fundamentally changed.
This has radical implications for the church today. And only the church as a whole, but for me individually as well.
As the question at the end of this article asks how the book of Peter change should how we view Christianity in today’s culture. As mentioned in this article there were three main points throughout Peter’s book that really stood out and spoke about salvation. I think that as Christians today and looking forward to the coming of Jesus again we need to take and live out these three points as in the way God has instructed us too. We are called to go out and make disciples and in that teach them about salvation. I think that this article did a real nice job in which we see the ways in which we are saved. From having an unfading inheritance and born again into living hope and finally the regeneration of new hope through Jesus. I think that as Christians we need to be able to live this out and show this to everyone that we see. Because this gift isn’t just for us but it’s for all and that’s what Jesus came to do. He came to show love and he called us to love. Reflecting on the question I think that we have to change the mindset we have now and make it more about others than what the church can do to help people. To take responsibility and live out what God has called us too.
The return of the Messiah is a hot topic in Christian culture. Most Christians have had a conversation about the return of the Messiah because it is an essential part of our faith. We await his return because we await everlasting life. We await restoration. Specifically, we await restoration from this sinful world. The idea that salvation will give us prosperity in this life is ridiculous. Our salvation in this life does not change our external circumstances unless we change them ourselves. In fact, we are warned about the suffering that comes with the Christian life (Matt 10:38, Phil 3:10, 2 Cor 1:5). Granted, the audience of 1 Peter probably does not have access to these books and letters yet. This fear of not having salvation due to their current suffering may be a doctrine issue; one that they may have been taught or conceived themselves due to lack of teaching. This particular type of health and wealth Gospel teaching is fairly common in Christianity because to humans, coming from a very worldly secular mind-set, it makes sense. No matter what culture you live in most would look at suffering as loss of something or lack of something. This human way of looking at salvation, however, is broken. Peter writes that the salvation or “inheritance” that we receive is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4). After we receive salvation nothing we can do can take that away. Nothing can separate us from this love (Rom 8:38-39).
As for the increasingly post-Christian America, while this fear may be the same for many, the principle still applies. To write to your comment, “When is Jesus going to return and judge those people!” I would challenge that thought by saying that our focus should not be on God’s judgment of others. Our focus should be on glorifying him no matter how others live their lives, treat Christians, or treat you and me. The Scriptures are clear about the fact that we will deal with suffering on this side of the grave as supported above, but by the grace of God, he keeps our salvation safe no matter what happens on this side of the grave (1 Peter 1:5).
For a while now, most Christians have suffered in their faith, which is in Jesus Christ from the adversaries around them. Even today, there’s an increase of persecutions towards Christians in geographical places of high volume of violence and murder. Most people claimed to be Christians with their own interpretations of what is to live such as limitations of relationship with the living God and still think they will fully benefit the promise of inheritance with Christ. Some, struggle to define the origin of their beliefs who Christ is and who they are in him. Much of the suffering comes with the anticipation of wanting judgment towards the adversaries who brought persecution based on their faith in God, a high cost of price to pay. The return of the Messiah, brings much of complexities of fully understanding the age, the time, season, urgency, and signs of his coming. Who say, we have the position to complain such justice is needed to judge those who come against us? Why would we have to suffered for our faith? Is this mainly physical or spiritual suffering, or both? In Jobes she stated, “Christ’s church is called as it has been in every time and place to be a winsome witness to the gospel (267).” In 1 Peter 3:14 says even when we suffer for what is right, we are considered blessed and not to be fearful of any threats or be frightened. In our salvation, we should see this an eternal life gift that we have access to the one who gave it to us at the Calvary cross, Jesus, to want and desire to do his will in being a walking testimony and witness of such light that is found in us. As we continue to live in the dark times of this material world, we should have the compassion of the heart to want and desire to bring others towards the great promise and life that is found in Jesus. Much of the truth lays within the souls of those who are complete aligned spirit, soul, and body in God’s divine plan in our history time.
I do not think that the role of Christianity has changed but more like the world we are living in has changed. Because of the world-changing around us it means that how we explain Christianity to the world around us might look slightly different then it did 100 years ago but it is still the same message that Jesus had throughout his ministry here on earth. Understanding where the world is morally and spiritually helps us to better understand how to evangelize to the world. This does not mean that we change the message but that we explain the message in a way that the world can understand. For example, the way you explain something to someone in the American culture would be totally different than how you would explain it to someone in a Latino culture. Peter’s audience was going through extreme persecution for their faith to the point where they were dying for their faith. Sharing their faith in the world around them was getting them killed. Here in America, we do not have to worry about that and yet we care so much that people are going to think we are weird so we do not take the opportunities that God places in front of us. With the Coronavirus going around right now people are really fearful of their lives and the lives of their loved ones. We need to lean on Jesus as if he is our only hope because he is our only hope. So when we evangelize we need to communicate that as believers in Jesus Christ our only hope is in him and nothing else.
Peter’s audience struggled with things some Christians struggle with today. They felt that God may have left them, that he had turned his back and abandoned them. WIth all the things we see in the world today, and the suffering of believers around the world, it is not hard to imagine feeling that way. But Peter tries to give a word of encouragement to his fellow believers. He tells them that suffering is going to happen, and that is part of what it means to be a Christian, that things will not always be good, but our hope is in something greater, Jesus.
Peter argues that every believer in the promise of Christ will be persecuted for that belief, and they will suffer. Much of this comes from the way believers are called to act, which stands in contrast to the world in some aspects. It is at these points believers will stand out, and by being outside of the norms of society, people will try to discourage them from being different. Jobes also points out that Peter refers to a suffering “for doing the right thing than to sin” (Jobes, 342). Jobes says that by giving into sin, we are choosing to avoid suffering, but when we stand in righteousness, we suffer, but we are doing as God calls us to do.
Peter’s audience is different then the current audience that reads 1 Peter. Regardless of that the struggle is real and the same, there is persecution, suffering and pain. There always will be those things in our world, due to the fact that we live in a fallen world. We will have to be able to bear through the pain that life throws at us, and become stronger in our faith. That is what suffering does, it makes us stronger than we were before. I feel like as we go through our christian walk, we tend to sugar cake things and we say things “life is so great and there is so much freedom”. Which to a certain extent there is, yet I think we exaggerate that. A life with Christ, is a life of suffering and we need to remember that. When we choose to pick up our cross and live in righteousness, there will be suffering and pain. When we decide to live in like the world has taught us to live, then we think life is fine without pain and suffering. Yet, the pain and suffering will come at a later date and the pleasure that we had before would be gone.
I don’t believe that persecution meant that original believers had vainly put faith in Christ. Even though they experienced persecution, if they truly believed in the Lord Jesus, then they maintained salvation. In 1 Peter 1:4 it tells us that our salvation is imperishable, “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” Just like back then, it happens often today where we question why we go through our trials and struggles, and just ask, when will Jesus be back. There are so many people who have put their faith in Jesus Christ that are going through persecution and trials in life. So for two thousand years we have been asking the same question. What are we supposed to do now? Well first, according to 1 Peter, we should know that no matter what we go through, as long as we believe in Christ, we will have salvation in heaven for eternity. Second, 1 Peter tells us that we are “born again” into this new hope. So again, no matter what we go through, including persecution, if we put our faith in him we will have salvation since we have inherited it through Christ’s death and resurrection. The third point that 1 Peter is trying to make is that it’s important that we try to stay holy as believers. We are “called to be holy.” So yes, even though our society is transitioning into a more secular one, the bible still calls us to be holy and act in a way that brings honor and glory to the father.
I don’t believe that persecution meant that original believers had vainly put faith in Christ. Even though they experienced persecution, if they truly believed in the Lord Jesus, then they maintained salvation. In 1 Peter 1:4 it tells us that our salvation is imperishable, “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” Just like back then, it happens often today where we question why we go through our trials and struggles, and just ask, when will Jesus be back. There are so many people who have put their faith in Jesus Christ that are going through persecution and trials in life. So for two thousand years we have been asking the same question. What are we supposed to do now? Well first, according to 1 Peter, we should know that no matter what we go through, as long as we believe in Christ, we will have salvation in heaven for eternity. Second, 1 Peter tells us that we are “born again” into this new hope. So again, no matter what we go through, including persecution, if we put our faith in him we will have salvation since we have inherited it through Christ’s death and resurrection. The third point that 1 Peter is trying to make is that it’s important that we try to stay holy as believers. We are “called to be holy.” So yes, even though our society is transitioning into a more secular one, the bible still calls us to be holy and act in a way that brings honor and glory to the father.
Christian nowaday has the has the privilege of great comfort and less persecetion in within the societies, and less alienations compares to Christians in first century era. Christian sets of beliefs were considered as hatred towards humanity, societies norm, politics and priorities because Christian views of norm, moral system, ethical code of law and social engagement were vastly differences to that of Greco-Roman culture. In facts, since Greco-Roman cultures hold a polytheism worldview, being a Christian doesn’t provoke the authority, but the particular, and the exclusive claim that there is no God, but Jesus alone, as the only way was the major outrage for the societies and authorities. Yes, Christian particularism still the major root of outrage for non-believers especially in the western society where pluralism is Tha major worldview. As a Christian, I think its crucial to have a honorable l conduct that based on God will and purpose, and following the example of Christ by denying and following his footsteps. The ultimate reality will soon come and its important for every Christian to re-examine their identity in Christ. Is Christ really the cornorstone to which we build our foundation? Being born in living hope should grant us the motivation and the encouragement to finished the races even in the midst of suffering. Persecution and suffering are inevitable, its apart of the Christian journey.
In our modern christianity today, I believe that most people understand that Jesus is the Messiah, and that we don’t hold the belief that Jesus is supposed to overthrow our rulers, unlike many who believed in the first centuries. I don’t know anyone who is waiting for Jesus to come again and overthrow the evil reign of our American Government, Instead most of us Christians are waiting for Jesus to come rapture us and then to establish his earthly kingdom. Now I do believe that America is getting closer and closer to becoming a lawfully antiChristian nation, in which it will be illegal to publicly worship God, or in the least that Christians will be persecuted by the government. While this may seem like something that could never happen and may seem like an overreaction, there was a law a few years ago that was proposed in California that would prohibit the Bible, so these times may be more realistic than people realize. However I believe that our modern American Christianity is in need of a good persecution. As Peter says in 1 Peter 1:6-7, our suffering is testing our faith and proving it to be more valuable than gold. Without anything to test our faith, many people have a very lukewarm faith. If there was a government led persecution of Christians, we would see millions of people renouncing their faith because now their lives may be threatened, but when there is no risk to believing in Jesus then many people can claim to be Christian, without having to make any real commitment.
I sometimes think that Christians do not think of 1 Peter’s teaching. I think most Christians judge people whether they are Christians or not. Christians we accept Christ for our salvation and learn what is right and wrong in the Bible. We have the tendency to judge others right away. There are few Christians that will not judge because that is not their place, and it is God’s place to do that. Christians should set a good example of loving others, not judging. 1 Peter 4:8, tells us that above all that we have to keep loving others. When the person becomes a Christian, he or she is going to struggle during those trials. No one said it was going to be easy when you become a Christian. When Peter said about being born again, we will have spiritual experience meaning the Holy Spirit of those who believe. We get tested for our faith. God wants us to have faith and hope in Him because he is the one who created us to see what has in store for us. The main focus from Peter is the coming in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and regeneration of our spirit. We do not know when Jesus is coming. People or some Christians may predict that Jesus is coming because of what is going on with the world, but it is not the right moment. Also, we have to learn to be patient with God and continue with our faith and focus on God.
Because our modern post-Christian America is looking more and more like that of pagan first century Rome, Peter’s teachings on how live a faithful Christian life in opposition of the world around them is so relevant for us today (Jobes, 268). I don’t know if the description of salvation in 1 Peter would necessarily change the way we look at Christianity in contemporary culture, but rather bring assurance and stability to our roles within the changing culture. Jobes says, “The Christian is a foreigner in a society whose values are based on other philosophies”, (288). No matter the time, century, or place, as a genuine follower of Jesus, you will probably be the foreigner at some point in some place. This salvation spoken about in verse 5 will be reveled in the future, and until then, God will protect them (the original readers) and us (contemporary believers) by their faith and through Hid power (ESVSB, 2405). It is interesting to read about what was going on in 1 Peter because is it so similar to what Believers experience today, which in and of itself is a whole wide range from persecution in countries where Christianity is illegal, to being controversial in the West.
I think that a huge part in this article that sticks out to me is about how Peter describes salvation as an unfading inheritance. I believe it is huge to understand that suffering is not always meant to be a punishment. I think this ties in well with the whole meaning of 1 Peter 1:3-5. A big point that Jobes throws out is how Peter came to realize what the resurrection was really for. The resurrection of Jesus was not an attack at the Romans, it was how God would be giving those who believe in Him a new birth (670). This ties into the changing role of Christianity in a developing contemporary world because even though we all stray in some way and fall short, we are all forgiven and given a new birth through his resurrection. This look at salvation changes the whole view of today’s Christians because of what the verse 1 Peter 1:7 states which talks about how our trials come to prove our faith. This is much different from how society views the world today. Nobody likes anything hard; nobody likes to be in pain or suffering. People want to feel safe and comfortable so more often than not people will stray towards what brings comfort and safety rather than realizing that comfort and safety can and needs to be found in Christ alone.
We see that in the early church their suffering was a lot harsher than ours is today. Today everyone has their own take on what suffering is and most people suffer in different ways. I feel that as we grow in our Christian faith, we see that our country is falling farther away from Christ which makes it hard for us to express that faith since we are losing the amount of people that believe and have the same faith that we learn and express. We have grown into a country that is getting farther from the Christian faith every day with stuff that is happening and things that others have different views of. We believe that the suffering we face can be watched over by Jesus Christ and we may have moral support for everything that we go through. We seek to find the Lord during tough times which is said to be a safe place for us as believers. Our culture in America has changed in the past couple of years as others looking at Christians as the religion of false teachings. I believe we are losing more fellow Christians than ever before and I feel that a reason for this is because those who experience suffering refrain from asking the Lord for help which causes them to then feel like the Lord is failing them.
God tells us that the world will hate Chrsitians because the world hates Christ. I think that as Chrisitians, we should expect hate, prejudice, persecution, or trials due to our faith. Salvation does not guarantee an easy life. It actually promises that this world might be harder for us because we are now visitors to this earth that is not our home. It gets easy for us as humans to focus on all the bad in our lives and in our world. It causes us to wonder how a good God would let these things happen and if God is really coming back for us. However, all through the Bible God continually reassures His people and gives us hope. This passage in Peter is only one example of many which tries to encourage people and help them hold on to hope. The entire Bible also serves as a record for us to look back on and see how God worked in others lives and how he was continually faithful to all of His people. The Bible was given so that we can see a recorded account of God’s actions and the way he always kept His word and His promises to people. We are also told that God never changes, and so if He was honest and trustworthy in the past we can have full confidence that He will continue being honest and trustworthy in the future with us. This assurity and promises from God can help us hold onto the hope that God gives us.
I think so much of the modern struggle with suffering comes from the ‘prosperity gospel’ that is too often preached. The prosperity gospel is popular because it preaches what people want to hear. It tells people that if they believe and follow Jesus, they will be blessed. Their business will succeed, they will get a better job, things will stop going wrong for them. But this is not the case and in fact, Jesus promises his followers that they will face persecutions and sufferings as he did. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus says those who are persecuted for his sake are blessed. In John 15, he explains that the world will us because of him and persecute us because of him. We should expect to suffer in this world, especially if we are followers of Jesus. Persecution does not mean that we have not inherited salvation, it is almost more of a sign that we have. I love how Jobes explains that we really have Peter to thank for the imagery of Jesus as the suffering servant, based on his interpretation of Isaiah 53. While some of the other New Testament writers allude to this idea, Peter is truly the one to develop it. And as Christians, we too will be suffering servants of God. We all want justice when we are treated unjustly, no one enjoys suffering (though it is possible to find joy in the midst of suffering), and we often want God to just swoop in and make it all right. Usually in this dream, we forget that God will judge all, not just those who oppress us. We will also be judged. Which gives more meaning to those who are suffer for doing good – because they will receive their reward when judgment comes. Jesus was the ultimate suffering servant, however, as Christians we should expect that we will also suffer. And suffering is not a sign that we have lost our salvation.
The original readers of the book of 1 Peter were aware of God’s promise to the Jewish people that they would return to the promise land and leave the time of exile. They also believed in the fact that Jesus was the true Messiah and that they were saved through his death and resurrection. Unfortunately, the original readers of this book were still suffering oppression and persecution due to their faith being put in Jesus Christ. Peter attempts to comfort these people who were wondering about their status in salvation by reassuring them that they have gained a new status in God’s family by being believers. Peter uses three different statements to address the fears that these original readers had expressed. Peter explained how salvation is an unfading inheritance, how we are born again into a “living hope,” and how this new life is through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
The blog post above mentions how the Jewish people remained in exile, even though they had this promise from God to return to the promise land. To me, I believe this relates to modern day Christians who are eager for the return of Jesus, whether that be in the way of just pure excitement to meet Jesus’ face to face, or that be because they want the sinful people in the world to receive their judgement. Waiting for the return of Jesus takes patience because He will return in His perfect timing, which might not even be in our lifetime. The way that Peter explains our salvation in the way that suffering is not a punishment is important to keep in mind in today’s modern day Christianity as well.
One interesting aspect that I noticed about 1 Peter is that the Christian’s suffering is to be expected and might even be evidence of the Christian faith. Having a view where the more spiritual you are the less struggles you will have is not compatible with what Jesus taught (John 9:1-3). The Psalms speak about what it feels like when the wicked seem to prosper (73:3). From these verses and others, we can conclude that suffering plagues both the righteous and the unrighteous regardless. The modern Christian must understand this because it informs our view of our Christian walk. For example, just because something bad happened to us it does not mean that we were somehow unspiritual. In fact, it may be that suffering is evidence of the Christian faith. Jobes talks about how the audience for this letter were likely facing local persecution (like slander) and not government persecution (279). They were suffering because in their attempt to live holy lives, they were being talked about badly by those who did not understand (Jobes, 286). Jobes says that when you live in a place that does not care about your faith “choosing not to sin… will inevitably lead to suffering at times” (286). Thanks to 1 Peter, Christians can take heart that their suffering does not mean they are doing bad spiritually, but they can instead “rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings” (1 Peter 4:13).
Although suffering has been foretold by Peter and therefore becomes an expectation of the Christian life, suffering and its’ identification looks different in our society. Additionally, it is beneficial that when we share the gospel, we communicate the idea that accepting the invitation to follow Christ will be accompanied by some degree of suffering. Still, this suffering is for a cause and comes with a great reward, we must only endure. Suffering on earth is endured only on earth in light of our eternity. When we view suffering as a unique chance to glorify God while on Earth, we can receive not only new motivation, but also perspective. I praise God that our suffering our pain, is seen by a comforting and empathizing savior who was both tempted and tried. Jobes also brings up an idea of specific suffering, persecution (279). Persecution is not absent amidst our 21st century American society. But I can confidently make the claim that those persecuted in America most often do not understand the persecution in 1 Peter. This type of persecution is more equivalent to the persecution one might endure in Iraq or Asia. It is violent, it is vast, and it is unrelenting. No matter what label our suffering has, it is not in vain. In the beatitudes we learn that those who are persecuted are blessed. We can take confidence that we are seen and blessed for every suffering, therefore take each trial in joy! While it is much easier than said, accompanied by 1 Peter’s revelation of Christ suffering paralleled to his children’s, a whole new understanding may be provided on the existence of suffering.
I’m sure some are not seeing that Christians in America are suffering the same persecution as Christ, and in great measures! It’s not just petty slights. Some Christian’s in America are being tortured and the torture is being hidden to hide the crime. Some Christians are being targeted and their reputation destroyed, but again done in a way as to hide that it’s being done. They are isolated from help, and friends and family become abusive because they don’t believe them. Their situation is almost identical to the treatment Christ received. When these Christians
review their situation, they can tell you they identify with almost every treatment Christ received, and realize there suffering is in fact suffering for Christ. Not in words, but experientially.
In response to our post-Christian America today, I highly distrust that countless conservative Christians are extremely judgmental. When they proceeded to have mini knowledge of the bible, they started to judge one another based on salvation instead of helping one another faith. I mentioned this because I’ve personally experienced it before. My ultimate answer for those fellow conversation Christians is that only God is our judge, and he only knows whether we are saved or not. Jobes also mentioned that “Jesus entrusts judgments to God, thereby leaving eh preservation of justice to God the Father alone (Mark 14:32).” (Jobes, 2011, pg. 307). I like how it mentioned in the articles that Peter describes our salvation as “unfading inheritance” according to (1 Cor 6:9, 15:50, Col 3:24, Titus 3:7, and Heb 1:14), I believe this is such a firm passage for our salvation. I believe that this is such a good passage for all of us to know about our salvation, sometimes, we may feel like we lost our salvation because we often sin, but Peter reminds us that once we believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, we have an unfading inheritance for our salvation which is good news for people who doubt their salvation. We no longer lose our salvation because of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, so again our salvation in 1 Peter changes the way we look at the changing role of Christianity in contemporary culture because Peter stated one firm passage that “our salvation is unfading inheritance”.
It is definitely an intriguing thing to think about what it was like to be a new believer in Christ right after his death and resurrection and the idea that you were still being persecuted. This would definitely be a puzzling situation to be in. No one understood exactly how this reward of putting your faith in Christ would work but they could clearly see that it was making their life much harder. This is something that correlates very well with the Christian faith today. When you give your life to Christ and live this out in your daily life you will definitely run into obstacles because of it. We Americans have it easy for the most part and the worst thing we might run into is being looked at as a weirdo. But in other countries, we are still seeing Christians being persecuted and even killed for their faith. Luckily, 1 Peter sends the message that all of the sufferings we endure on Earth will be rewarded in heaven because of our strong faith. 1 Peter 1:3-5 also lets the readers know that your salvation is protected by God therefore it will never be lost. I am still unsure about the idea of whether someone can lose their salvation or not. Obviously, we see verses like 1st Peter 1:3-5 but there are also some like 1 Timothy 4:1 which reads, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” ( 1 Timothy 4:1). This is definitely a Hot Topic debate amongst Christians so I’d be interested to look more into this topic.
1 Peter 1:3-5 helps Christians today be reminded of the ultimate truth that should encourage us and drive us to live for the hope we have in Christ. In this passage Peter’s immediate response to the salvation of God was to praise Him. As Christians, this should be our response as well, knowing full well that we can have real hope in Christ! We have Living Hope because Jesus was raised from the dead. Jesus is our hope and He defeated death! We are given new life, and we are now a new creation. We have been raised from the dead too! In today’s culture it is very hard to keep such a perspective when the secular world sees it as false hope. We are living in a culture in which believing in God is such a difficult thing for many people. So many people need facts and hard core evidence for them to even consider really believing that something is true. Unbelievers might see faith as misguided hope for something that isn’t true and won’t come true. As Christians today, we need to set an example of our security in the Living Hope we have. We should take advantage of the opportunities we have to share the joy that we have in our hearts with others.
This passage also talks about our inheritance we have in heaven and how it will not go away because it’s being protected by the power of God. We can only experience this inheritance unless we are born again, made a new creation. We must receive Christ into our hearts and allow Him to make us new. Our faith is what keeps our inheritance. Someone who is “kept” is someone who is continuing a relationship of faith with God. The Living Hope that we have should spill over into being consistent with our faith and serving the Lord. Our Living Hope flows into the other areas in our lives. We should actively be different from this world in the way we live and act, because we are foreigners and aliens of this world. We should be living in a way that separates us from the world because of the Living Hope that we have. In the Enduring Word Bible Commentary an author named Hibert says, “This beautiful passage is the outpouring of an adoring heart. Only one who has devoutly contemplated the greatness of our salvation could utter such a magnificent paean of praise, one that prepares and encourages the suffering soul to steadfastly continue the spiritual battle” (Enduring Word, 1 Peter 1). I feel that this sums up what 1 Peter 1:3-5 is really about. It is because of the truth we know in our hearts as believers that we are able to continue on in the spiritual battle we face in this world.
“Enduring Word Bible Commentary 1 Peter Chapter 1.” Enduring Word, 22 Sept. 2022, enduringword.com/bible-commentary/1peter-1/.
Jobes, Karen H. Letters to the Church: A Survey of Hebrews and the General Epistles. Zondervan, 2011.
I thought that this blog post did a really good job of giving me a picture of what life for those early Christians who were going through persecution and uncertainty was like. It is pretty easy to see why these Christians during this time might have questioned salvation as a whole when they were going through all this chaos. The words that Peter shares with us are such a powerful reminder to us all that our salvation isn’t tied to our circumstances. It is solid as a rock and is held by God for us all. When Peter talks about this “unfading inheritance” it really stuck with me because this serves as a beacon of hope in the middle of our lives when we are facing struggles. When we talk about being “born again” through the Holy Spirit, it really clicked with me. It’s not just about making sure that I do the right things the way that I am told to get to Heaven. It is about making sure that I am taking the right steps to change who I am from the inside out. The reflection on Peter’s message applies to us today, in a world that is changing so fast, it is so easy to get caught in the middle of chaos. But Peter reminds us that we need to keep our eyes on the forever truths of God’s kingdom, no matter what is going on.
It is interesting to think about the struggle of the original readers of 1 Peter being persecuted for their faith with the belief that their faith would free them from that prosecution.. The reality of heavenly inheritance vs salvation on earth and freedom from oppressors was likely very hard to accept. This is why this passage embraces themes of hope and belief so overtly as the reality that the readers lived in was hard to grasp, and being born into “a living hope” was such an important sentiment at the time as it still is today though in a different way.
In America today, in which we are at least 50 years removed from the last significant movement for the promotion of Christianity, taking to heart the words of 1 Peter would be beneficial for many Christians. In recent years such phrases as “the number of the beast” (Rev. 13:17), have been brought up by conservative Christians. Claims have been made that the return of Christ will come soon and that the signs are around us by these same evangelicals. The return of Christ to earth is of course not predictable intentionally, and those calling for the judgment of others need to look no further than 1 Peter for a reflection on this line of thinking. Even as limited as our suffering as Christians today may be, it is important to recognize that Christ suffered for us that we might receive the “unfading inheritance” that is salvation (1 Pet 1:3-5).
It is important to note that the original readers of 1 Peter believed in Jesus and that he was the son of God. As Long (2018) indicated they believed that Jesus was the Messiah, which is no surprise to us that he was. It is also believed that those whom Peter is referencing in his book were those who were being oppressed and persecuted for their beliefs in Jesus being the son of God. Many individuals were persecuted for putting their faith in Jesus being the Messiah. Jobes (2011) states many followers of Jesus were described as living stones (p. 285). This is because the followers of Jesus were serving God through Jesus and his teachings.
Salvation is described as an unfading inheritance, a living hope, and a regeneration to new life (Long, 2018). I think we as Christians experiencing shifts in contemporary culture need to remember how Peter describes salvation. I think the way that Peter describes salvation is truly what salvation is and the whole idea of why Jesus gave his life on the cross. Peter identified the meanings of salvation for a reason and not for them to be misjudged or misinterpreted. We know that Jesus died on the cross to forgive us of our sins and to give us a new life. We also know that since Jesus died and rose again this gives us the understanding of what a living hope is. Salvation is important and I do not think that we should be changing the understanding of what Peter described as what salvation from Jesus is.
Jesus is the only way for everyone to go to heaven, and it is also worth it to live for our savior, Jesus. Many Christians from the past and present have been living for Jesus and dying for him. Jesus’ death on the cross was so powerful, meaningful, deep, great, and high. The sacrifice he made washed away all of our sins, and we are saved forever. Salvation does not wash only our old sins; it does wash our sins for today and for the future too. We cannot lose our salvation anymore because, since we believe in Jesus, we are saved. Some believers in this world might be suffering for Jesus, but they must be happy because God knows their suffering and pain. In John 11:34–36, it says, “Where have you laid him?”he asked. Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” So many believers think God does not care for their suffering, but this Bible proves that God cares about our pain.
Salvation is a rebirth into a new life and a living faith. We found our salvation in only Jesus, and he can judge anyone’s salvation. But sometimes, we judge too much other salvation, and we even send them to hell for just looking at them for what they do in life. No one is perfect, and believers are still committing sins after accepting Jesus as their savior. But it does not mean that they lose their salvation. Once we are saved, we are saved forever. Peter says that our salvation is an unfading inheritance, and we do not have to judge and hate the people who believe in Jesus but commit sins. As believers, instead of judging, we should help others and guide them to God. And believers must be willing to suffer and face challenges for Jesus.
I think it’s very interesting to hear from Peter’s perspective. I really liked how Peter talked about being born again. Because when we accept Jesus into our heart we are in a spiritual sense being born again and sins have been forgiven. An example in the Bible is when Jesus was talking to Nicodemus in John 3:3 when Nicodemus asks Jesus how exactly he can be born again. In John 3:4 he asks Jesus “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”. Although this can be confusing, essentially what Jesus and Peter mean is that accepting salvation is starting over and starting a new life. When accepting salvation God becomes your father and you are subject to an inheritance like Peter describes. In 1st Peter 1:4-5 he says to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. It shows up in the old testament as well because the Israelites were promised an inheritance of land and a name. But our inheritance is a heavenly one.
When I was reading 1 Peter, Peter’s words seemed as timely concerns about the changing landscape of Christianity to me. Expecting Christ’s triumphant return and the establishment of a new era, the early ones faced some unexpected persecution and even political upheaval. In the face of their suffering, it seemed that doubt was beginning to set in, and their faith in Jesus was in vain. Peter assures them that their salvation does not depend on circumstances, but it is an incorruptible inheritance that is guarded by God himself. Peter then shows that this inheritance is not only a future destination in heaven but is also a present reality, marked by spiritual rebirth and the living hope. The expression “born again,” is very unique to Peter’s sermon, it helps by emphasizing the transformation by the Holy Spirit. Peter then emphasizes that salvation is not a metaphorical change, but it is a literal spiritual rebirth. Peter then places this new birth in the resurrection of Jesus, shifting the focus from the cross to the opening of the new covenant. This biblical chart helps echo the Old Testament picture of Israel’s redemption and its inheritance in the Promised Land. Peter even encourages believers to see their salvation not only as a factor of their futures but as an ongoing transformation in the present day. In today’s society, as Christianity is challenged with having to change their cultural dynamics, Peter’s message remains relevant. Christians are then called to embrace their identity as born-again individuals or also known as being saved and living with a deep hope based on the resurrection of Jesus.
This passage of 1 Peter 1:3-5 can be a reminder to Christians today about the truth and hope we can have through Christ to continue to live for Him. During hard parts of our life, we should be reminded that we are to respond in praise. It is hard to remember this when things do not go our way in life, but we have Jesus who paid the ultimate sacrifice for us. Today there are many people and groups that attack those for believing in God, and this is when we are supposed to lean and call on Him. We are to be set up apart from the world. When we are born again, we have Christ in us, and we should want to live a life that is praising to Him. We can use that as an opportunity to serve others and show people, who might not believe in God, the light of Jesus. We are supposed to live differently and that in itself is an example to others. Having this life and Jesus in our hearts we are able to face each challenge that comes our way from day to day.
When we understand salvation as a profound spiritual transformation rooted in the resurrection of Jesus it can offer a renewed sense of purpose and hope. Even though the return of Christi is important for Christians, it should not take priority over salvation. Believing in the right view of the return of Christ is not what gets you into heaven. It is the empathic belief in the death and resurrection of Christ, and then not only believing in it but living it out daily. Rather than fixating on things like the timing of Jesus’ return or the judgment of others believers need to embrace their identity as inheritors of a living hope and agents of transformative love in the world. We can see in 1st Peter that Peter invites Christians to anchor their faith not in temporal circumstances or societal approval but in the enduring promise of salvation and the redemptive power of Christ’s resurrection. Having this perspective can and will empower believers to engage with contemporary culture with confidence and compassion, seeking to embody the values of the Kingdom of God in a world marked by everything but that.
I find this post to be one of many questions. You can ask yourself or parts of the blog, many different things involving the persecution of the early believers after Jesus’s death. The early believers must have been confused and worried in a sense that they didn’t exactly know what was going to happen after Jesus’s death with all the faith they had given. Early followers often found that giving this faith was making their life much harder throughout the fact that it was almost frowned upon, But the reward that they were seeking was making it all worth it. Our lives today may also reflect this situation being christians are becoming more and more of a majority, at least in our society in America. In the ESV study bible, 1 Peter states “the believers need not fear mistreatment and persecution if they remain committed to good works” (3:13). This is what we and the early believers needed to believe in regardless of how hard it was to give our faith. Another passage I really liked in Peter was Peter 3:15 which states “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”(ESV). This is important to me because it’s how we need to show our faith and show our Lord respect.
After reading this blog post, some ideas that stood out to me were: suffering for the sake of the gospel, and how persecution and suffering don’t equal punishment. A lot of the Jews and early Christians were expecting Jesus to overthrow the Romans in order to take back their land and free the Jews but after His death and resurrection, instead they saw persecution and suffering. They likely would have been feeling discouraged and had doubts, maybe even questioned if they made the right decision in following Christ. I was intrigued (but not surprised) by their response to the persecution and how their expectations played a role in that response. Because of sin, humanity’s usual first reaction is to doubt and question. People don’t like to suffer and see it as God being ignorant to our issues. This idea highlights how we expect God to do things and how we want him to do it our way. Even though it wasn’t what the early Christians expected, it doesn’t mean that persecution and suffering came because they did something to deserve it. In fact Jesus said in John 15:18 that “if the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first”. What Jesus is saying is that when we are persecuted it is not because we did something wrong but because we are living our lives like Christ did. The world hated Jesus, and will hate Christians when they live like him. Jobes in her book Letters to the Church uses Isaiah 53 when referencing Jesus’ identity as “the Suffering Servant” as described in 1 Peter. Jobes goes on to state that Peter in his letters provides instructions for Christian living that directly relate to this idea of Jesus suffering stating that Peter “presents the unjust suffering of slaves as the calling of all Christians” (p.309). This means that because Jesus suffered, we must also.
It is always interesting for me to see and understand the context of the people in the time the Bible was written, for they had faced a lot of challenges . However, often we see God through the prophets, or apostles encouraging the people to stand strong in the Lord and too look for the big picture in the suffering. Today we have a lot of people who face challenges. However, our challenges does not compare with those people in the Bible times, how much persecution they faced. Yet, in our own small mindset we are so easy to complain and be tempted to abandon our faith. If only we looked at the Bible and saw what God has to say. It always amazes me how God continues to say through His servants, that there is a good in suffering, doesn’t matter how hard the suffering is. And I completely believe in Him, for when we look at what Christ had to suffer for us, yet when we read the letter of Peter or the Hebrews we see a light shining, that it wasn’t in vain. “Peter says here that we have “a great salvation” not simply because we get to go to heaven someday, but because we have been fundamentally changed through the power of the Spirit of God and the resurrection of Jesus” (P. Long, 2018). Jesus’ suffering had a purpose, so we could be here today studying more about Him, experiencing God’s grace daily. Looking how God doesn’t punish us, but as a loving Father He uses the sufferings to make us grow in our faith and being transformed by Him. “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5).