SHOW TO BE SECURE THROUGH SUFFERING: KNOW THAT YOU ARE SAVED

1 Peter 1:1–12 (KJV 1900)

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

1 (1:1) Believers—Chosen, The: the chosen are believers, believers who are only pilgrims or foreigners scattered over the earth.

This is the descriptive picture being painted in verse one. Believers are only strangers on earth.

The word means pilgrim, sojourner, visitor, or exile.

The idea is that of a person visiting a place for a while, but not as a permanent resident.

Believers are citizens of heaven; their home is in heaven with God, not on earth with the rulers of this world.

The rulers and people of this earth may persecute believers, but believers are here on earth only temporarily—only as strangers, pilgrims, sojourners, and exiles.

This is significant; it means two things:

1. It means that where we live on this earth does not matter all that much.

No matter where we live, it is not our permanent home. Our home is in heaven.

We may be forced to leave our homes and countries because of trouble and persecution—we may be poor and suffer great hardship in this life, but it is only for a brief time.

We are only strangers and pilgrims on earth.

We shall soon be called to go home—to go to our permanent home in heaven and be there forever and ever. And there shall be no hunger or poverty or suffering or hardship in heaven.

2. It means that we should keep our eyes and minds …

• focused upon heaven as our permanent home.

• focused upon how short life is.

• focused upon how uncertain, insecure, and short-term all things upon earth really are.

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (He. 11:13).

“For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come” (He. 13:14).

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Pe. 2:11).

“And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage” (Ge. 47:9).

“For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding” (1 Chr. 29:15).

“Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were” (Ps. 39:12).

“I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me” (Ps. 119:19).