Part 1. The Living Hope (1-1:12)
OUR FOUNDATION IS THE LIVING HOPE OF JESUS
Peter knows life is not just rainbows and lollipops. Let's read verse 6-9 again. "In all this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed." Do you see what Peter is saying? Just like gold, it must go through fire to be refined, but he says that our faith is worth more than gold, since it perishes.
Peter reminds the reader that they can pass joyfully through times of hard testing by holding onto faith in Christ, even though we have not physically seen Him.
In order to endure hard times, and they will come, we must have our foundation in the living hope of Jesus.
Part 2. Living Holy Lives (1:13-2:3)
IT IS ONLY THROUGH CHRIST WE CAN BE HOLY, SO BE HOLY IN ALL YOU DO!
Peter says "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had." However, he doesn't just say NO, he gives us the better option, and that is to be holy! Now, Peter does not mean that your holiness will be equal to the perfect holiness of God. Instead, the pattern for how we are to react and respond to the world is through the holiness of God.
'Verse 18 and 19 are critical for us to understand. Peter wants to remind us that God didn't pay for us with a nickel or a dime, but with the price of his SON! Let me say that again, God didn't pay for us with a nickel or a dime, but with the price of his SON! He cares for us that deeply! He was willing to pay the HIGHEST price for our redemption so that we would be his. He CHOSE us, He WANTS us, and He LOVES us. We must also remember in all this it was not our doing, but God's doing.
Part 3. Live as God’s Chosen People (2:4-2:10)
