1 Peter 1:3-12...After the thesis statement comes the body of the term paper...

 



This Sunday I started off my sermon talking about term papers.  Not my favorite thing to do but knowing the parts of a term paper make it more manageable to accomplish.  You have a thesis statement at the start and then the body of the paper and then a concluding statement at the end.  I feel we have seen Peter's thesis' statement in 1 Peter 1:1,2 and he is emphasizing 3 main points to be fleshed out in the body of his letter.  

1.  He wants his readers to know about the Trinity (The Father and The Son and The Holy Spirit).

2.  He wants his readers to know more about their salvation (born again) in connection to the Trinity.  (God planned, Jesus purchased, Spirit polishes)

3.  He wants his readers to know how to live (reside) as "born againers" in a hostile world.

Peter dives into the body of his letter by focusing deeper on point 2.

  • We have a "living hope" because Jesus rose from the dead.
  • We have an inheritance that is like no other (imperishable, undefiled, unfading and kept/guarded in heaven).
  • Our faith is protected by God's power while we are here.
  • Our salvation is ready now to be revealed in its fullest sense in the last day.
  • We have a faith more precious than gold and it doesn't perish.
  • We can experience now a love of and a belief in and a rejoicing to God.
  • Our salvation was proclaimed by the prophets of old and from the eye witness apostles being led by the same Holy Spirit.
  • Our salvation gets the attention of the angels in heaven (they turn to and stoop down).
One question I ended with was this, "What on your plate needs the knowledge of your salvation added to it so you respond differently, a way that results in the praise, glory, and honor of Jesus Christ?"

All these "whereas" bullets will lead into the "therefore" of verse 13 and following next week.  

But, I would like to share one last verse with you that come up in my study last week.  I use the 3 circles diagram to explain what the Bible says about God's salvation.  

God created a perfect world but we live in a broken world because of sin and our rebellion against and running from God.  

God so loved this broken world that He gave His Son, Jesus Christ to come, to die, and to rise again as the way of escape and we respond with submission to Jesus as Lord and Christ and now we run to God with repentance.  

We are then restored to His perfect kingdom and now share in the gift of eternal life.  The Holy Spirit is at work in us so we grow in Christlikeness and we go, retooled, back into the broken world to tell others of the way of escape.

Romans 6:22 (LSB) says,

"But now having been freed from sin (rebellion against, running from) and enslaved to God (submission to, running to with repentance), you have your benefit (share, restored to), leading to sanctification (grow and go), and the end, eternal life." (parenthesis mine)

I pray you have a great week with God and His Word.

Adam



A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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