Hope in Hostility - 1 Peter 1:1-7

The Great Fire of Rome - 18th of July 64 AD. One week of fire destroyed almost 3/4th’s of Rome. Emperor Nero blamed the Christians.

Before all of this happened, Peter was inspired to write a letter to several Roman provinces located in what is now modern day Turkey.

Recipients of the letter were Christian Jews and converted pagan gentiles.

They were facing social and governmental opposition.

Themes of 1 Peter:

What it means to live like a Christian.

How believers relate to governing authorities, cruel masters, and unbelieving husbands.

Central Theme = Hope Amid Persecution.

Physical persecution - In Nero’s day, the cruelty of persecution among Christians was noteworthy.

Social persecution - 1st century Mediterranean society considered social humiliation worse than physical pain.

Early church traditions say Peter was eventually crucified in Rome during Nero’s persecution.

Peter wrote to prepare the people for what was to come.

1 Peter 1:1-7

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ:To those chosen, living as exiles dispersed abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient and to be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ.May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.

5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Peter (Greek) was an apostle = “The rock”

“chosen,” Hebrew Bible designated Israel, NT give this title to the “Church”, which consists of all.

“exiled”, Christians scattered throughout the area.

1. Equipped with Salvation

Peter reminded the believers that they were sovereignly chosen by God to shine light to the world.

“foreknowledge” (foreordaining love)

Jesus Christ was foreordained to be the sacrificial lamb.

“sanctifying” - The Holy Spirit setting people apart as holy.

God gave us salvation by choosing to send Jesus.

Jesus earned salvation by shedding His blood.

The Holy Spirit ministers to the soul with God’s word.

Difficult paths with logs in place to help you along the way.

Before you knew there was a God in heaven, He already was.

He ordained salvation for sinners.

Salvation is 100% available to all people.

2. Guarded with Living Hope.

Salvation is a “new birth into a living hope.”

Positive expectation about the future.

2 Corinthians 5:17

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

1st birth = dead hope, 2nd birth = living hope.

There is a better future on the horizon.

“inheritance” - Confidence for displaced and uncertainty.

“kept” - Reserved for man. Unstained by earthly attachment.

“you are being guarded”

Our inheritance is safe, but so are we.

God has an omnipotent grip on His children.

John 10:27-30

27 My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

“guarded” - A continuous process of protection

Zack Martin

While we live on earth, our salvation is protected and our inheritance is guarded.

3. Joyful in Circumstances

Peter wrote these words to produce joy for Christians experiencing trials.

Our ability to cope in this present darkness is tied to our understanding of our inheritance in the future.

God allows trials in life to refine our faith like gold so that it may result in praise of Jesus when He returns.

Persecutions was present, but believers were to stand firm.

No matter what, I am DAD to my five children.

For Christians, we rest in the promises of God.

We face trials that are circumstantial.

The Main Thing: Disciplined Followers of Jesus Christ

We are joyful because we know that we belong to God and nothing will ever change that fact.