Mercy and Life Anew (1 Peter 1:3-4)

Mercy and Life Anew 1 Peter 1:3 Peter and the Elect Exiles • Peter is writing to churches spread across the wide geographical area of Asia Minor. • Peter sets the tone of his letter in 3 ways: 1. The letter is specifically for God’s chosen ones 2. The letter will be an exercise of praise and worship (“Blessed Be”) • Peter begins to unfold why God is so blessed. • Today, we’ll focus on three words: mercy, born-again (one word in Greek), and hope. God’s Great Mercy • Great has the idea of “muchness”; God has a great reservoir of mercy waiting to be dispensed • It’s important to distinguish mercy from grace: 1. In grace, God freely forgives sins and imputes righteousness; in mercy, God minimizes the consequences of our sinful condition/actions (see Psalm 51:1) 2. Mercy is equal parts attitude and action – see Luke 10:33 3. Mercy is both past, present, and future – God saw our hell-bound future, was moved with compassion, sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins, caused us to be born again, and now guards us for future inheritance. Peter describes all these actions as “great mercy.” Caused us to be Born-Again • The first evidence of God’s great mercy. • Regeneration – Born Again – Beget Again: 1. The concept is common in the New Testament, but the vocabulary is not – Paul (new creation), John (born from above), James (brought forth), and Peter (beget again) all use different words to describe the concept. 2. Not a remodel, but a total remake. 3. God is the exclusive Actor – just like for human birth, we contribute nothing. 4. New birth cannot be undone – it’s kept in heaven. 5. Regeneration is relational – you’re born into the family of God (John 1:12-13) To a Living Hope • Bible hope is the confident expectation that God will not only bless us now but keep his promises of eternal life. • Living – in Greek thought, something living is active and dynamic; living hope is a growing and maturing hope. • Our living hope is bought by a once-dead, but resurrected Lord. Comfort for Pilgrims 1. Peter’s raises our thinking immediately to a higher and more important plane. Our life circumstances simply serve as the backdrop for the truly important matters of life. 2. Peter’s first words inspire permanence and confidence in God’s ultimate plans – this life isn’t all that we have. 3. Peter’s starts with our royal pedigree – by beginning with who we are, he can proceed to what we ought to be.