A Letter of Hope

1 Peter- A Letter of Hope

This week we begin a new study through the book of 1 Peter. The apostle Peter wrote this book to encourage the Christians of his day who were experiencing persecution because of their faith. Although we are not yet persecuted for your faith in our context, 1 Peter has words of encouragement for us in our time and our culture.

The epistle starts off by identifying Peter as the author and believers who find themselves as aliens in a world hostile to Christianity as the recipients. Throughout the book, Peter exhorts believers to remain faithful and trust God no matter their circumstances.

In 1 Peter 1: 3-9, Peter writes about the reasons we have to praise God:

1. We should praise Him because His mercy has provided a way of salvation and new birth by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

2. We should praise Him because of the promise of an eternal inheritance that is “imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading.” 1 Peter 1:4

3. We should praise Him because there is a place in Heaven for all who will believe. 1 Peter 1:4

4. We should praise Him because we can be eternally secure. 1 Peter 1:5

5. We should praise Him because He brings purpose to the trials that we face on this earth. We praise God by how we handle the hard times of our life. When trials come, they are opportunities for us to place our faith in God and glorify him in our time of need. 1 Peter 1:6-7

6. We should praise Him because following and loving Christ leads to joy that is unexplainable. 1 Peter 1:8

7. We should praise Him because the outcome of our faith will be the salvation of our souls. 1 Peter 1:9

He deserves our praise!

 

City of Refuge

Joshua 20:1-9

Before the People of God crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, God told Moses to set aside six cities to be known as Cities of Refuge. These cities were places that people who may have accidentally killed another person could flee to a city of refuge and be protected from the “avenger of blood” (family of the deceased) until the elders of the city could investigate the circumstances. If the person seeking refuge was found guilty, they were put to death. If they were found to be innocent, they could continue to live in the city of refuge without fear.

These Cities of Refuge can be seen as a picture of our salvation in Jesus Christ. We are all guilty (Romans 3:23), and there is an avenger seeking our souls. (John 10:10) There is a place we can run and find safety for our souls. The place is a Person, Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12) We must run to our Savior Who is our Refuge.

Has God brought you to a place where you understand you are guilty? Have you taken your guilt to Jesus and placed your faith in Him. He is our Refuge.