As the name suggests this letter was composed by Peter, probably in the early 60s AD.

What a journey Peter has been on up to this point. Never in a million years could he have imagined what his life would turn out to be like growing up in first century Israel. Undoubtedly, he also had hope for the Deliverer, the promised Messiah, to make an appearance, but that he himself would meet him in the flesh and become one of his closest friends, he would never have dreamt that! And, remember how exciting it must have been to be with Jesus for three years, to witness the miracles, to do miracles himself by the power of the Holy Spirit, to see his own life transformed and that of countless others! God has great surprises in store for those who surrender their lives wholeheartedly to Him, as Peter had.

Now here we are towards the end of Peter’s life, when he is writing a letter to encourage Jewish and Gentile believers to keep on keeping on. There’s so much in just the first chapter that pages and pages could be written on this, but of course that’s not an option! Let’s therefore consider in a few key words what Peter is encouraging the readers of his letter with, and maybe that is something we can praise God for, too. Then we’ll look at how we should live practically as a result of all that God has done for us:

Praise: God the Father knows us and has chosen us long ago.

 By God the Father’s mercy we have been born again.

 His Spirit made us holy.

 Jesus has been raised from the dead.

 We live with great expectations.

 We have a priceless inheritance waiting for us in heaven: eternal salvation guarded by God’s power

 We have faith, which will be tested by trials, but will prove to be genuine and “it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” (v.7 NLT)

Practice:       Think clearly, exercise self-control and get ready for action. Obey God – be holy as our heavenly Father is holy: we are foreigners in this world as we belong to the Kingdom of heaven and to God’s royal family. We now need to live a lifestyle that corresponds with this new identity. Love each other deeply.

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Question:     How are we doing with the list Peter mentions in verses 13-21?

Prayer:          Praise God for the things mentioned above. Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you put into practice the things you felt He highlighted as you were reading the passage.