Is the Christian faith under fire today?

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 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. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. —1 Peter 1:1–12

Even during difficult times, Christians can live with

Reveal Answer

obedience.

We Have a

Hope – vs. 1-5

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, —Philippians 3:20

This letter was written to encourage believers to

in God.

Peter reminds them that they are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God. – vs. 1

“According to” means in accordance with or

to.

“Foreknowledge” means a

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.

Believers were known in God’s mind before the foundation of the world by His own deliberate choice—this is intimate knowledge of a person, not the person’s actions!

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” —Jeremiah 1:5

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. —1 Peter 2:9

Scriptures and experience demonstrate that this protection is not against trials and suffering in this life (Heb. 11:35-40).

Amid the trials we face, we have a living hope. We can face today and tomorrow with confidence because the resurrection of Jesus Christ makes our own future certain.

Our heavenly inheritance is not contingent on our ability to

—we are protected by God’s power.

We Have an

Faith – vs. 6-9

For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. 11 You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; 12 you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. —Psalm 66:10–12

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. —Job 23:10

He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. —Malachi 3:3

If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. —John 12:26

Trials and testing are painful but

experiences. God uses suffering to test the genuineness of our faith. If our faith stands the test, we can be confident that we will receive praise, glory, and honor from Christ when He returns.

We Have

Grace – vs. 10-12

The words concerning this salvation set the stage for some reminders that can help us regain fresh focus on the glorious saving grace God has poured out on us believers.

The Old Testament prophecies were not explicit, however, the prophets searched and carefully investigated to find answers to their questions (see Matt. 13:17) about the time or circumstances of messianic sufferings and the subsequent glories.

We have a more

revelation from God in the New Testament.

As believers, our future rests in God’s

, even though our faith is under fire today. God calls us to live confidently in difficult times, looking ahead to heaven, as we receive the same promises that sustained believers in Peter’s Day.

Believers can be confident in the grace and power of God. Our hope in Christ cannot be taken away. Because our inheritance is secure, we can rejoice in our present suffering. Suffering we experience in this earthly life is brief and trivial compared to our eternal inheritance.