1 Peter 1:10-12 - The Prophets Spoke of Salvation

10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,
11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.

vs. 10-11 - "this salvation" - Peter speaks of this in the previous paragraph - the salvation of your souls.
"prophets who prophesied of the grace... " The prophets told of the grace of God that was to come, but they did not know who the Christ was to be, or when He would come. The Holy Spirit was guiding them in their prophecy. They predicted the sufferings of Christ (see Isa. 53), and the glory of His return. You can bet that these prophets spent time with God, asking to understand what they were saying. We are the beneficiaries of their prophecies. The prophecies did not make it happen; they did tell us it would. Christ's arrival in the world turns out to not be a surprise after all.
If a person shows up unannounced and proclaims to be one with God, and to be a savior, most of us would be skeptical. And well we should. The Jews, especially the Pharisees and Sadducees, were unsure that Jesus was the One. When they became stubborn, they convinced themselves He was wrong. But they were incorrect. This shows two things - ideology trumps evidence, personal arrogance or self-aggrandizement overpower the call to belief. It also shows that we, you and I, can choose to believe. "God does not overwhelm, He can only woo." Screwtape ("Screwtape Letters", C.S. Lewis).

vs. 12 - "...they were not serving themselves..." - The prophets did not predict for themselves but for a later time, for you and me. Their predictions were fulfilled in the gospel. See 1 Cor. 15:3-4 - For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. The real mystery of Christianity is the death and resurrection of Christ. If you accept and believe the fact of Christ's resurrection there is no argument against committing, nor any reason to not commit your life to the Lord.
A book review in 'The Weekly Standard' magazine of the "The Crucifixion" by Fleming Rutledge, noted the 'death of Jesus generates more material every decade and has for centuries' than any subject of any study in a well stocked university library. Why? Because the subject of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection goes to the core of our being - what is the meaning of life? How do we regulate our lives? Is there life after death? How do we know where we'll be when we die?
These questions must be answered. Where else do you find the answers to these questions?

"the gospel" - That is where you get the answers. The prophets did not know the gospel. They did not know the meaning of the resurrection. They knew God and believed Him. They spoke the words He told them to speak.

"by the Holy Spirit" - In our time, the time of the church, the gospel is preached by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has been given to us to help and teach. See John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7 Spiritual questions are answered in the Bible. I was going to say "All spiritual questions..." On the other hand, I suspect there are lots of questions that may have no direct scriptural reference answer. Some will need to wait until we see Jesus face to face. Some of those questions will then appear to be silly, and part of our passive rebellion against giving all to Him. There are lots of questions about how we direct our lives that also have no specific answer in the scripture. These questions are answered "obliquely". There is no scripture that says, "Don't smoke cigarettes." There is no scripture that says, "Don't beat your wife," nor "don't nag your husband incessantly." Instead we are given, "Love one another, as I have loved you", and "Love your neighbor as yourself."

"angels long to look" - that little phrase causes me to stagger a bit. Angels in the presence of our Lord don't understand some of things He has planned for us. They stand agape. As it says in 1 Corinthians 2:9,10 But just as it is written, "Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him." God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. Wow! Think about that. God has given us everything. His life is ours. His love is ours. His Holy Spirit lives within us to guide, teach, direct us. Are we willing? Will we commit? He has done His all, and awaits our response. Like salvation being our voluntary decision, so living the Christian life is our decision.
You know you are His child. Consider this fact in making your life decisions. Yield to Him as He directs you each day. Be obedient to His calling. See Rom. 6:6, 11, 13, 16.

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1 Pet. 1:6-9 - Trials serve to prove faith

6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls..

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vs. 6 - "... rejoice... " - Praise the Lord, that he provided that we may be as He is, through faith. The phrase "In this ..." seems to refer to the salvation given to us and will be revealed later mentioned in verse 5. See 1 John 3:1,2 Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him. Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is.

"... distressed by various trials ... " - Trial serve to prove our faith. "Prove" can have a couple of directions it can go -

1. To confirm as real and true, such as proving a theorem, to determine if it is correct, if it works as proposed.
2. To test and make mature and complete. Trials are also of little consequence, considering the glory we have in store. This could seem to be a glib statement considering the trials you may face in your lifetime - loss of a spouse, or child, a tragedy which might include a senseless death or incomprehensible injury or disease. Trials are of consequence in this lifetime, in that we may learn to trust in the Lord in any and all circumstances. You would think it would be easy to trust in the Lord when things are going well. Somehow, it doesn't always work out that way. Living good seems to dull my 'need' to depend on the Lord for everything. It is during dire circumstances that we truly lean on Jesus. C.S. Lewis said in "Screwtape Letters" that any faith that folds up under duress is not worth much. See: 2 Cor. 4:17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory; James 1:2-4.

Side note: Are all trials that we encounter for our benefit? Or are some of our trials simply the result of a fallen, sinful world? Or are some trials the result of poor decisions on our own part? Can any trial be used to make us a better believer?

vs. 7 - "proof of faith may result... " - He is not speaking of salvation, but the rewards after salvation. See: 2 Tim. 4:7,8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is reserved for me in the future the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.; See also Heb. 4:1; 1 Cor. 3:13-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; James 1:2-4.

"...more precious than gold ..." - Gold, and all other metals (solid at normal temperatures) are purified by heat. The longer the heat is applied, and the hotter, the more pure the final result. The impurities (called dross) are burned off, or sometimes float to the top and are skimmed off. But no matter how pure the final product, for example gold, the result is not permanent. It is perishable; it can be lost, stolen, or just wear away. See: Job 23:10 - ...when He has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold; See also Prov. 17:3; Isa. 48:10; Zech. 13:9; see also, Matt. 6:19-21.

vs. 8 - "...have not seen Him, You love Him... believe in Him... " We can love the Lord by faith, and need not have every thing proved to us ("Unless I handle it with my own hands, I will not believe..."). We need not doubt the Lord. Because we can trust the Lord to keep us safe, we know that He loves us, and we can love Him. See John 20:29; Acts 1:9-11.
At the same time, God does not condemn us if we have questions. I believe God would rather have us our brains, challenge, search, seek for the answers. Thoughtless acceptance give us no means of defense when our faith is challenged. "Always be ready to give a defense for the hope that is in you." 1 Pet. 3:15.

vs. 9 - "... outcome of faith is salvation..." We often think of 'salvation' as the end of things, being in heaven with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. And this is true. But Jesus came that we might be free here on earth. The final outcome is eternal life. In reality, eternal life seems ethereal, beyond understanding. I think it would be hard to remain faithful simply for that alone. We can believe God, He does not lie. He has promised this. Wrapping your 'head around' that concept is not easy. God has given us freedom from sin, freedom from shame and guilt, power to live a sanctified life. He has given us peace. He has given us power, through the Holy Spirit, to overcome our pet sins, our favorite failures. See Rom. 6:22 - But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life; and see Rom.1:16,17; Rom.10:9-10. See also: Eph. 2:8,9; John 3:16.

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1 Pet. 1:3-5 - Our Inheritance

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

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vs. 3 - "according to His great mercy" - we are saved by mercy and grace, no more. It is not that God is condemning those who deserve salvation, but that God is saving those who deserve condemnation. See John 3:36 - The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him; Titus 3:5 - He saved us —not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Rom. 9:16 - So then it does not depend on human will or effort but on God who shows mercy.; See also: Gal. 6:16; Eph. 2:4,5; Eph. 7-9; Rom. 5:8.

"caused us to be born again" - God does not try to rebuild our old selves which are the old nature. We are given a completely new self, a new creature. The old self died with Christ, the new self rose with Christ. If you watch the 'Home & Garden' channel on cable TV, you will see people buying houses and remodeling them. Quite often, if the house is old, they end up gutting the house, tearing down walls, ripping off sheet rock or lathe-and-plaster, tearing up floors. After the work is done, the house appears new. But it still has the same 'bones', same foundation and wall structure. A lot of the original house is still there. You just don't see it. New paint, new flooring, some new appliances and hardware, but the original house is still there.
Our salvation does not happen that way. We will receive a new unblemished body to go with our new spirit when Christ returns before we die, or at resurrection. This is not a cosmetic make-over, nor a remodel job. While we still live on earth, we have our old natural body, our old natural self. The spiritual war that goes on within us is the battle between the old nature and the new. God does not force us to live in any certain way. Our salvation is totally voluntary - "God does not overpower, He can only woo." (The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis). The same is true of living out our salvation - we must give control to the Holy Spirit. He does not wrest it from us. The fascinating aspect of our Christian life is that while we live on earth, we have both (yes, both) the old sinful nature and the new nature within us. That is the perplexing dilemma we face. Each day, each moment we are required to make a decision - to follow the old sinful nature, or to obey the Lord per the new nature. It is easy to follow the old self - it feels right, it is comfortable. We have done it all our lives. Some have called it 'auto-pilot'. We do things habitually. Our task is to develop new habits - those following Jesus. See 1 Pet. 1:23; James 1:18; John 3:1-21; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15; Rom. 6:4-6.

"... living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" - Our hope is Christ resurrected. We are really pitiful if our hope in Christ's physical life only. If Christ did not rise from the dead, all of his claims were lies or gross delusions. Christ's resurrection is the biggest story in human history. He lives. We can stake our lives on that fact. See: 1 Cor. 15:12-26 - Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without foundation, and so is your faith. In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified about God that He raised up Christ — whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Therefore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. The message is if Christ is not resurrected, then no one is. We have believed and died for nothing. But God has promised it. His promises are true. We have life eternal. See also 1 Cor. 15:50-57; 1 John 3:2,3; 2 Thess. 2:16.

vs. 4 - "inheritance... imperishable... reserved in heaven" - We receive the inheritance, eternal life, through the work of Christ on the cross and His resurrection. It is kept safe in heaven by the Lord. Our greatest reward is eternal life with Christ Jesus, the Lord. That should be enough. I will confess that eternal life is hard to imagine. And since it is so 'far away' both in time and understanding, Jesus has given us more. He has given us a better life here and now. The Holy Spirit is in us to guide, counsel, and help. I am not advocating a 'prosperity gospel', but strength to face trials and trouble, peace to calm our hearts and souls. I cannot guarantee that as a believer I will not have troubles, pain, sickness, or issues with other people. "My peace I give to you." John 14:27 Oh, the wonders we will see as we walk the streets of heaven on that day. John, in Revelations, attempts to describe it. See Revelations 21:1-22:5.
See: Eph. 1:14; Acts 20:32; Luke 12:31-34; Matt. 6:19-21; John 10:27-29, 14:1-3.

vs. 5 - "... protected by the power of God through faith." The omnipotent God, who through grace saves us from condemnation by our faith in Christ, will never let us be separated from Him. See: 2 Tim. 1:12; John 10:27-29; Eph. 1:18-23, 2:8-9, 6:13; Col 2:9-10; Heb. 1:3; 7:25; 11:6; Rom. 1:16-17.
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1 Peter 1:1-2 - Salutation

1:1-2 - Salutation
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen
2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
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See note 1 below.
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vs. 1 - Peter - one of the first disciples called to walk with Jesus and learn directly from Him. There are a couple of different accounts in the gospels of how Peter came to follow Jesus. In Matthew 4:18, Jesus calls Peter and Andrew from their fishing jobs to follow Him. In John 1:35-42, Andrew is following John the Baptist, physically and spiritually. Jesus walks by the day after John baptizes Him. Andrew was with John, and was listening when John calls Jesus the 'Lamb of God". Andrew and another guy begin to follow Jesus right then. Andrew goes to his brother, Simon, and tells him Jesus is 'the one they have been looking for'; the one John the Baptist has been telling them was coming. Simon goes with Andrew to see Jesus, and Jesus immediately gives Simon the name Cephas (Greek), or Peter (English version of Cephas). We know that 'Cephas' or 'Peter' means 'rock' or 'stone', and this is significant later in Jesus' ministry.
See: Matt. 16:15-19 Jesus and the apostles (not apostles at that moment, but disciples - they would later become apostles) were discussing 'who' Jesus was - just what was his role in Israel, Jerusalem, and the world. Jesus asks, and Peter gives the 'Great Confession'. Jesus uses this exchange to emphasize the confession is the bedrock (foundation) of the building of the kingdom of God. Peter is not the foundation. Jesus, the Son of God is the foundation. Confession that you believe and accept this fact is your entry to His kingdom.

Apostle - This is one sent, a messenger. It is a unique office of the church. These are people specifically called by the Lord Jesus Christ. There is, or was, a limited number of apostles - no more than 13 to 15 - the original twelve disciples called to walk and learn with Jesus, plus Paul. The twelve was reduced to eleven soon after Jesus was crucified - Judas Iscariot hung himself after giving back the 30 pieces of silver he received for betraying Jesus.
Paul was accosted by Jesus on the road to Damascus. This is amazing, since it was several days, maybe months after the resurrection of Jesus. See Acts 9:3-7 and following. Paul is struck to the ground by the brilliance of Jesus' presence (No one else in the group saw anything). Paul knew it was God, the Lord, speaking to him. He was confused because he was sure he was doing God's will by persecuting the believers of Jesus.
He is asked "Why are you persecuting Me?" You can almost hear the confusion in Paul's response, basically, "What!? Who are You? I am eliminating blasphemers! I am doing God's work! How could I be persecuting the Everlasting God?" Jesus' answer is simple, "I am God. And you are attacking Me." It is probably a stretch to say that Paul was blinded by his arrogance, and then was blinded by his encounter with the Living God. Fortunately both cases of blindness were temporary. Then Paul was taught by the Lord Jesus, and was 'called' to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

'Called' is one of those particularly Christian words, or concepts. Pastors are 'called', missionaries are 'called'; but what does it entail? I think it is one of those things that cannot be described, but you know it when you get it. There are people who are singers, musicians and they are not satisfied unless they are singing and making music. Writers sometimes admit they are not happy unless they write. People who are 'called' to the ministry know that they need to serve the Lord, wherever that may be.

those who reside as aliens - Aliens in two senses -

1. refugees - driven from their homes because of their faith. See Acts 8:1-8 ...and all except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.; See Acts 11:18 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. Christians were being driven from their homes, their towns and villages because of the persecution. The Jews were the initial persecutors. The Jews were furious with the Christians, assuming they were being blasphemous to Judaism.
   The Jews did not accept or believe the resurrection happened. If they believed that Christ was raised from the dead, then they might need to abandon Judaism to believe in Christ and become Christians. By not accepting the fact of the resurrection they did not need to accept Jesus as God. Persecution from the Romans and other governments came later. Again, the persecution of Christians was not, and is not usually because of the belief system (Christianity) but because the Christians would not deny their faith in Christ and accept a different belief system - such a worshiping Caesar as a god, or in today's world, Islam.
2. We are citizens of heaven, strangers in this world. See Psalms 39:12; 1 Pet. 1:17 This world is your temporary residence; see Eph. 2:19 So then you are no longer foreigners and non-citizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household,; Phil. 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven...; We are now citizens of heaven, having once been at enmity with God, but now are at peace; Col. 3:3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.; See 1 John 3:1; James 4:4. We are now God's friends not enemies, his children not strangers. Our life is now His; we are in Christ, and He is in us.

This is one of those amazing, incredible, astounding statements of the New Testament, about the church, about the believers. Christ, Lord of Glory, the Creator of the universe, is in us! Add the Holy Sprit, in us, and you have the reason we no longer need to fear Satan, no longer need to fear failure, and we have hope.
This is also the reason that we must live our lives in such a way that Christ living in us is obvious to anyone who looks at our lives. That is a lot of responsibility. Am I living, right now, today in a way the glorifies Jesus and the price He paid? If not, I need to change my behavior immediately. I need to change my way of thinking.

who are chosen - "chosen" and "elect" are used interchangeably; and almost always used to describe a person special to God. It is not often used in a verb sense. Christ said that He called his apostles first, and then they responded. See John ?.

"Chosen" is usually a title of position - we are 'chosen' because we are in Christ. I do not think we are in Christ because we were chosen. (The latter is sort of like "I pick you, and you, and you - but not you. Sorry." Insert sad emoji here.)
A possible reading of the word "chosen" is Sovereign God, omnipotent and omniscient, can pick and choose whom He pleases. Who are we to tell Him what to do? However, I see a conflict with other verses in the scripture if we try to hold to that interpretation.
For example, these promises:

1. all who profess Christ are saved: See Rom. 10:9-10 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation; See Matt. 10:32 "Whoever, then, acknowledges me before people, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.; See John 1:12.
2. Anyone who so desires may come: Matt. 5:6 "Whoever, then, acknowledges me before people, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. See also: Matt. 10:32; 28:18-20.
3. Go, witness, make all men my disciples - Matt. 28:18-20; See Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.

If only certain pre-selected ones are saved, no others have even a hope, because they would be explicitly excluded. Even if they desired salvation, they could not have it. To base salvation totally and only on God's sovereignty takes away from God's grace. That doesn't make sense to me. I am not trying to fit God into my mold, or my theology. I believe God is orderly, has set down rules and procedures, has made promises that He keeps. Saying on one hand, "All that will come, may come," and in another breath (so to speak) "Only those I pick of those who respond may be saved" is contradictory to what I read in the Scripture. It seems cruel to tell people they have hope for salvation, only to tell them after they die that there was no hope after all. God is not that cruel - He is not cruel at all. See Eph. 2:8-9; and see 1 Cor. 15:19, we have hope for a better life now, and hope for much better in the next.
vs. 1-2 - "who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God." Two points to consider:

1. God sees events from the end of all things, as well as from the beginning and the present. For example, He chastises us now because He see the end result as well as our present actions. God 'foreknows', that is, knows beforehand, who will come to Him for salvation (omniscient, remember). But knowing and arbitrarily choosing are not the same. God is no respecter of persons (Rom. 2:11 - For there is no partiality with God.) God must know, He has to know who the chosen ones are. If God picked people for salvation, there is no reason for Him to be patient - see 2 Pet. 3:9 The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance., or Matt. 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
2. God planned before time began that we would be saved in this manner: by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. See 1 Pet. 1:20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world...; Rom. 8:28,29; 1 Tim. 1:9 He is the one who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not based on our works but on his own purpose and grace, granted to us in Christ Jesus before time began,; See Acts 2:23 and Eph. 1:4.

vs. 2 - "by the sanctifying work of the Spirit" - There are a number of aspects of this work:

1. God draws men to himself through Holy Spirit; 2 Cor. 3:6 who made us adequate to be servants of a new covenant not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.; John 6:63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
2. The Spirit guides us into the truth - Acts 4:12; John 16:13 .
3. Christ is the acceptable sacrifice for the world's sin. Heb. 9:12 and he entered once for all into the most holy place not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, and so he himself secured eternal redemption.
4. We have eternal life through the work of the Holy Spirit - Rom. 8:1-27; Gal. 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.
5. We have been perfected by the Holy Spirit. There is no darkness in us - Gal 3:2,3 The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort?;
6. Sanctified, or made holy - John17:17 Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth.
7. God is light, with no darkness; 1 John 1:5 - Now this is the gospel message we have heard from him and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. See also: Jam. 1:17. Sin is darkness and we are sinful (Rom. 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.); we cannot come into the presence (or, rather live in the presence) of God.
8. Sanctification is three phased -
1. (a) Instantaneous - when we accept Christ;
2. (b) Progressive - as we live in obedience, we become more like Him, 2 Cor. 3:18 - And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
3. (c) Completed - when we become as Christ is now, 1 Cor. 15:51-58 Listen, I will tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will happen, "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! See also: 1 John 3:1-2.

"that you may obey Jesus Christ" - We have been saved according to the predetermined plan of the Father. Salvation is not the goal of obedience; obedience is the result of salvation. Eph 2:8-10. We often make the mistake that if we are good enough, God will love us. If we are just obedient enough He will be pleased and save us. Silly people! There is nothing we can do, on our own, that will bridge the chasm between us and God. No amount of obedience, sacrifice, hard work will bring sinless perfection. God knows this! So He has provided the way, at no cost to us, and immeasurable cost to Himself for us to be His friends, His family.

Peter, Paul and the other Apostles understood this amazing fact. I think this concept exploded in Peter's mind like dynamite - he was gob-smacked! It is no wonder that the Apostle Paul was aghast that believers would think it okay to live a life of sin after being saved. We are exhorted to live a life 'worthy' of the price. I visualize the word 'Exhorted': a football coach running the sideline hollering as loud as he can to his running back, "Run! Run! Go hard! The goal is right there! You can do it!"

"and be sprinkled with His blood." Christ, the Great High Priest, cleanses us with His own blood - Heb. 9:6-14. We are purified for Him - Titus 2:14 - He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession, eager to do good works, Heb. 10:21-22; Heb. 12:24.

"grace and peace" - At least two aspects of this phrase - (1) It is more than the grace of salvation, but grace upon grace - the Holy Spirit living in control of the life, living by faith. (2) the peace of Christ - John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.
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Note 1: In general I will "italicize" quoted scripture, or fragments of scripture; list scripture references in bold; and will underline Words or phrases from the verses of 1 Peter on which I am focusing.

1 Peter - Introduction and Outline

Background and Summary

This Letter by the Apostle Peter was written about 65 AD - about thirty to thirty-two years after the death and resurrection of the Christ. The church was undergoing persecution, from the authorities in Rome and in the provinces. Nero was the emperor and his persecutions are infamous.
Peter provides encouragement and hope to those who are in the midst of the pain and suffering. Peter's encouragement is that the suffering is not the end. There is glory for those who suffer for the Lord - He is watching and knows exactly what is happening.

The key message is about suffering. Suffering is threaded throughout -
 - The example of Christ's sufferings - see 1:11, 2:21, 4:1, 5:1
 - Look for suffering to happen - see 4:12
 - Suffering as a representation of God's will - see 4:19
 - Patiently bear up under suffering - see 2:23, 3:9
 - Rejoice in it - see 4:13
 - Note others are suffering, too - see 5:9
 - Suffering has value - see 1:6, 2:19, 4;14

This is a practical letter, applying the doctrine to our lives.

OUTLINE

Chapter 1
vs. 1-2: Salutation
vs. 3-5: Our inheritance, God's mercy, power, Christ's resurrection
vs. 6-9: Trials serve to prove faith
vs. 10-12: Prophets spoke of salvation, not fully understanding
vs. 13-17: Advice for conduct as a child of God
vs. 18-19: Purchased by the blood of child of God
vs. 20-21: Christ chosen from the beginning; faith, hope
vs. 22-25: Purity by belief, obedience, and word of God

Chapter 2
vs. 1-3: Grow to match your salvation; avoid self serving actions
vs. 4-5: We are the living spiritual house for a living Christ
vs. 6-8: Christ - cornerstone and stumbling block
vs. 9-10: We are his people, by His mercy
vs. 11-12: We must be above reproach since we are his people
vs. 13-17: Obey civil authorities; do what is right
vs. 18-19: Servants - obey your masters
vs. 20-23: Christ's innocent sufferings are an example for us
vs. 24-25: Christ bore our sins; He is the protector of our souls

Chapter 3
vs. 1-6: Wives, let your beauty be from within
vs. 7: Husbands, your wife is an equal in God's family
vs. 8-12: Harmonious living - giving a blessing to others
vs. 13-17: You are blessed if you suffer for the sake of righteousness
vs. 18-22: Christ died for our sins.

Chapter 4
vs. 1-2: Be prepared to suffer as Christ did
vs. 3-5: A changed life sometimes brings ridicule
vs. 6: Gospel preached so we may live in the Spirit
vs. 7-9: Have a sound mind; love one another; be hospitable
vs. 10-11: Use your gifts from God to glorify him
vs. 12-14: Expect suffering, rejoice in it
vs. 15-16: Never suffer because of evil actions
vs. 17-19: Judgement - for Christians, then others; entrust your soul to Christ

Chapter 5
vs. 1-5: Elders take care of your flock
vs. 6-7: Humble yourselves before God
vs. 8-9: Resist the devil, be alert
vs. 10: Christ will perfect you; after you have suffered
vs. 11-14: Stand firm in God's grace. Closing comments and greetings
***

Written by: the Apostle Peter
Written to: Christian 'refugees' in the Mediterranean area
Written for: to give the refugees a morale boost.

1 Pet. 1:13-17 - Advice for Conduct as a Child of God

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;

vs. 13 - "Therefore..." - This refers to all that was said above in verses 1-12. Because of all this that has been done for us by the grace of God we are to:
"gird your mind... keep sober... fix your hope" - Be prepared at all times to deal with the world through the Lord. Have a sound mind. Use logical reasoning, yet totally trusting in the Word. Our hope is in God's grace freely given. I do not like the phrase "blind faith". It implies that believers assassinate their brains and take a blind leap. It implies we are incapable of thinking, therefore being either ignorant or stupid we are stuck with blind faith. It implies emotional response, not rational thought, and people like this are weak, needing a crutch. Based on this 'weakness' decisions are made based on nothing but hope.

There are several good books that deal with Christians learning to be smart (not clever), including "Know What You Believe" by Paul Little, and "Loving God with All Your Mind" by J. P. Moreland. If you want to expand your mind try "Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis, or "Total Truth" by Nancy Pearcey. Neither of these two authors are mental lightweights. I guarantee you these books are not mind fluff - you will read and re-read paragraphs to comprehend what is being said. God wants us to understand and believe. See Deut. 6:5, Mark 12:30.

A quote from Thomas Jefferson, "Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear." A faith that cannot understand what or why it exists will be weak and of no consequence when faced with trials, problems, or challenges from others. Later in this letter, Peter admonishes us to "always be ready".

The things promised by Jesus our Savior, and written about in scripture can be taken as true and trustworthy. There are things that are not fully explained, like heaven (too glorious to explain in words) or the Rapture and all the events in the end times. I think these are "side issues" and not critical to salvation. Salvation information is clear, concise - "Believe and you will be saved."

Although I don't understand everything that is to happen, I know that at the coming of Christ we will be glorified as Christ is glorified. See Col. 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory; 1 Thess. 5:6-8 but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ; Rom. 12:3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.; Titus 2:6 - Likewise urge the young men to be sensible.

vs. 14 - "obedient children" - We believers are children of God. Not always are we obedient. See: 1 John 2:1-6; 1 Pet. 1:2; John 15:10; and The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. Peter is encouraging us to behave like obedient children. Rom. 8:16 If you know you are a child of God, then let your way of living be a demonstration of that knowledge. Let it be your roadmap, your GPS, being yielded and obedient to Him

"do not be conformed to the former lusts..." - Before we became Christians there were certain things we did that were not a credit to our Lord. See: 1 Pet. 4:2-4; Rom. 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world; 1 John 2:15-17 ...For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. Don't go back to those actions, those desires. Before you were a Christian you didn't know any other way. On the other hand, that is not completely true. All people have a sense of right and wrong, fair and not fair. I believe this basic understanding is imbued in all of us by God. Knowing there is a right way to behave is often overridden by our reasoning. See: Eph. 4:18 being darkened in their understanding... because of the hardness of their heart; 1 Cor. 2:14,15 - But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. See also: Acts 17:30. Only the grace of God and His Holy Spirit can give us the power to choose rightly, consistently.

vs. 15 - "like the Holy One who called you" - God is Holy. Lev. 11:45 There is no darkness in Him. Jam. 1:17. See also: 1 John 1:6, 3:3 - We therefore should be imitators of him, and be pure in all our actions. See 2 Cor. 7:1; James 3:13; Phil. 2:15; 1 Thess. 5:22; Rom. 15:13,14.

vs. 16 - "FOR I AM HOLY." See: Lev. 11:44,45 - For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. Lev. 19:2 - You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. "Holy" is one of those 'churchy' words. We all think we know what it means. It is to be morally sacred, or set apart. There is no other God, none other like Him. That is one of the reasons He is Holy - there is no other! He is perfect in mercy. He is perfect in love. He is perfect in justice. He is worthy to be worshipped. See Deut. 4:35, 39; Isa. 45:5, 21,22; Dan. 3:29; Joel 2:21.

vs. 17 - "address as Father..." - If we are going to call God "Our Father", we should be expecting treatment as His children. We are forgiven our sins. This does not mean we have a free pass to misbehave. The children He loves He chastises for their misbehavior. See Prov. 3:11,12 - My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.; Also, see: Heb. 12:5-11 - He expects more than lip service as can be seen from the rest of this verse.

"... impartially judges..." Our sins are forgiven when we accept Christ, but we will be asked to account for our lives, and what we have done with them. See Acts 10:34,35; Deut. 17:10 - you shall be careful to observe according to all that they teach you.; Rom. 2:6, 11, 14:12; Gal. 2:6; Col. 3:24,25 - knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.; and Psa. 62:12; Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12; 1 Cor. 3:13 - each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.

"conduct yourselves in fear..." - Knowing that you are held accountable. We do not fear eternal separation, but the purifying judgement seat of Christ.
"Fear" is one of those interesting words in the Bible. If we are safe in Christ, if we no longer are under condemnation, why 'fear'? If death has no power over us, and Satan can not get us, why 'fear'? What about fear of failure, failing to live up to the calling of Jesus? If we have forgiveness of sins, should there be 'fear of failure'? It is perfectly possible to believe that we will experience sorrow for the sins in our lives, or not living as He call us to do as Christians at the judgement seat of Christ.
I do not see fear (fear of losing our promised salvation, and being cast into Hell) at the judgement seat of Christ. The word 'fear' used here can also mean 'reverence as for a husband'. This makes more sense to me. We can easily understand that we can (or need to) live our life governed by reverence for Jesus.

The reason for the actual fear, dread of the Lord can be seen in Heb. 10:31 - How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.;

Consider this: When we are disobedient we are stomping on Jesus Christ our Savior (visualize a protester stomping on an American flag, or picture a protester kicking someone who has fallen on the ground and is defenseless) I am not saying that Jesus is defenseless, but our behavior treats him as such. You are grinding into the dirt the blood He shed on the cross for you. That shed blood is holy, it is the sacrifice paid for the sins of the world - for your sins, for my sins. This is not an impersonal sacrifice, a lamb plucked from a flock. This is very personal to you and I, and to Jesus. We are slated for death, eternity separated from the love of God, because of our sinful nature. He personally died for you, alone. He personally died for me. When we deliberately disobey, we spit in the face of the Holy Spirit (Yes, I know the Holy Spirit may not have a face, but we insult the Holy Spirit) who is to fill and control us by God's grace. These are strong words. Another reason for the actual fear, dread of the Lord can be seen in The judgement seat of Christ: 2 Cor. 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Everything we do will be revealed, and we will be judge on these acts. See: 1 Cor. 3:13-15. Have you ever wondered why is says in Rev. 7:17, 21:4 God Himself will wipe every tear from our faces? We're in heaven, face to face with our Lord, free from sin and pain. Why are we crying? I think we will know that we have not lived up to the cost paid for us. We cry not because of fear, but of knowledge of failure.

***

1 John 5:14-21 - We can intercede for others!

We can intercede for others! 

Vs. 5:14 – This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. - 

I have thought this verse and the next were parenthetical, dealing with we believers having confidence that our prayers will be answered (assuming our requests fit His will). That premise is true in the context of these two verses. But I think it may be bigger than that small premise.
As I look at verses 14 through 20, perhaps the contextual area is larger than just two verses (14 &15). As believers our hope is based on our relationship with God. We communicate with Him, and He with us. But many people do not put much stock in prayers, saying, "What's the use?" They think prayer is just a feel-good exercise. Or perhaps prayer is inner focused, similar to repeating a mantra, yoga-like until you are feeling peaceful. Some people think that prayer is only for you and I to focus our thoughts and desires. In their view prayers are useless.
Prayers are not useless. Prayers are not just an exercise. If God does not exist, and if He does not love us - then praying would be a waste of time. You might as well cast Those positive feeling exercise (the prayers) into the wind for all the good it will do. This is not the musical 'Paint Your Wagon' in which one of the actors sings "I talk to the trees, but they don't listen to me."
God does exist. He does love you. And the most amazing thing of all God wants a relationship with you. On Valentine's Day our Pastor Gene preached on this very subject - communication. You can hear the sermon linked here, or in the Meadow Springs Community Church podcast "Adventurous Living". The message is about how we communicate with one another in marriage. A significant part of communication is listening to the other person in the relationship. God has told us throughout the scripture to seek Him, call upon Him, search for Him. If you do, you will find Him, because he listens. 2 Chron. 7:14; Psa. 17:6, 31:17, 5:15, 86:7, 91:15.

Jesus and the Father hear us when we pray.

Vs. 5:15 – And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. -

Confidence. We need not fear that He will not listen, that He will not respond. We can know He hear us! God is not an absentee landlord. Jesus is not inattentive to our conversations with Him. He hears us, and more importantly He listens. Too often we respond to someone else with, "Uh-huh." "Yeah." Either we don't really listen, or we are merely waiting for a chance to jump in with our opinion. THAT NEVER HAPPENS when we talk with Jesus. He is more than willing to listen to our prayers as if we are the only person to whom He is listening. One of the advantages of being an omni-present omni-powerful God. No matter where you are, He is near you. Acts 17:27 Add to the fact He is near you, He loves you!
This has many ramifications. Start with 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." If I cannot KNOW, and have complete faith in Jesus hearing and acting, this verse is meaningless. I would be hopeless - in every sense of the word - a loser and without hope. When in trials I need peace and strength which I lack. I have no confidence that I will survive if He is not listening. If I cannot trust He hears when I confess He is Lord, and that I believe that He died for my sins, and that I believe in Him - and that He will save me as He promised - I am among all people the most pitiful. 1 Cor. 15:19 I will have fallen for a ruse, a massive con game ("con game" from 'confidence game' where the perpetrator gains someone's confidence and trust, and then crushes that trust). 
I do not believe the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are running a con game against the whole world. That thought is from the Devil. He is the one that convinces people that faith is wrong, that Christ is not needed in our lives.
In addition, we must also know that God is not a genie exploding from a lamp when we rub it. The personal aggrandizement stuff that genies provide is not part of this equation - If we ask anything according to His will. Look back to verse 14. In the context of vss. 14-20 (especially 14-16) Jesus wants us to pray for others, always with the purpose of leading them to Him. In some cases, it is to bring people back to Jesus after they have strayed.

Vs. 5:16 – If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. -

This is where the confidence is needed. I believe 'brother' is refering to another follower of Christ, not necessarily a sibling. God will save, with eternal life, those we pray for. If we observe another believer falling into sin, we are to pray for God to restore that person.
Which brings me to one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament: sin leading to death. What is that? I needed to consulate 'experts', because this is a tough one. We know that the consequence of sin is death - both physical and spiritual. Start with Gen. 2:17,18; Gen. 3:1-8. From the very beginning of mankind's relationship with God, death has loomed over us because of sin. (Interesting to ponder: perhaps Eve did not hear the command to not eat from the tree of knowledge - it was said to Adam before Eve came on the scene, as the narrative indicates, though I may be reading too much into that. Remember, Adam needed to share that command with Eve. Maybe it is the first instance of husband-wife mis-communication.)
However, Eve did not give the correct answer when Satan taunted her. She did not quote God's words as Jesus did when He was tempted. She was tricked into disobedience. Adam knew better, and did it anyway. Adam reminds me of Red Skelton's comedy bits about the 'Mean Widdle Kid." The character would say, "If I do this, I'll get in trouble." (Short pause) "I dood it anyway." Adam's is the more egregious sin.
It doesn't matter which was 'worse', both sins broke the relationship. It is Adam's sin. It is Eve's sin. It is in our genes, our biology - we are lost.
Ezekiel says it plainly, "The man who sins will surely die." Ezek. 18:20,21
Do be mistaken, there is no way for you to NOT sin. This verse does not say 'If you sin, then you die', which would logically imply 'If you do not sin, then you will not die.' We sin because we are sinners. Ergo sum we all die. The Psalms echo this (14:1-3; 53:1-3). In the gospels, John 3:12-21, 36. Paul also says it simply, bluntly, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of the Lord." Rom. 3:23
Think on that. If we cannot match His glory, we cannot live with Him. Doomed! But all is not lost. God the Father has provided by the power of the Holy Spirit, through His only Son the means to live in peace with Him.
If the point of this that all sin is death, then what is John writing about? John was not writing to non-believers. His readers had already transitioned from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of light Col. 1:12-13. All of their sins have been forgiven. For you and I, any and all of our sins were 'future' on the world's timeline (God is eternal and timeless, so nothing is future for Him.)
Jesus himself indicated there are some sins that can't be forgiven. "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven." Matthew 12:31 (NASB).
There is only ONE sin that separates us from God - rejection of His Son Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. So what is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? Denying He exists, and is the One who draws us to Christ - most likely. Rejecting the leading of the Holy Spirit, and trying to come to Jesus on your terms rather than His, is attempting to attain salvation apart from Christ. Rejecting the leading of the Holy Spirit is a major problem. Again, John is writing to Christians. They presumably have done none of this. Yet, John is warning them there are those who have done the unforgivable.
A couple of the commentaries propose this sin is rejecting Jesus after having said and committed yourself to Him. This is extremely troublesome, for there are many of us with children who have fallen away from the faith. Am I not to pray for that child of mine? God forbid! That is unthinkable for me. I cannot abandon my child because he has made a big, big mistake! I pray constantly that God will not let his heart be so hardened by his unbelief, that he denies Jesus exists, that God exists. That, perhaps, is the sin unto death - not only rejecting your faith, but also stepping over the line to denying God and Christ's existence. Sometimes this is labeled apostasy.

I am not sure that is the explanation of that troublesome phrase, but I am not alone. This one of the toughest verses to understand in the scripture.
***
Vs. 5:17 – All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death. -

Almost everything said above applies here. All sin leads to death. Confessing Jesus gives life. John cannot (surely, he does not) mean that if we sin after we accept Jesus we will die. We're all dead, dead, dead if that is so. Also, I do not believe he means there are sins we can commit without penalty, or at least very little punishment. I equate this with a Catholic Church point of view - venal versus mortal sins. John is repeating a theme: there is a sin that inevitably leads to death (or second death, or separation from God, or going to hell) which is rejection of Jesus as Son of God, denying the Holy Spirit, turning your back on God. All other sins are covered by Jesus' death and resurrection.
Continuing the thought beginning this paragraph, v. 14, 15 - if we pray according to God's will in order to 'reclaim' a fellow believer who has strayed from the way, He will hear us. Conversely, it appears that if a believer begins to commit apostasy - rejecting Jesus, rejecting the call of the Holy Spirit, blaspheming the Holy Spirit, denying God the Father, and trying to draw others away (the last is my thought, thinking along the lines of testing the Spirit to determine orthodox teachers and rejecting false teachers (anti-Christs)) - we are not to pray for them. God will deal with them. We are not to try to bring them back 'into the fold'.

Pray for the fallen. Do not pray for the apostate.
***
Vs. 5:18 – We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. -

These three verses, (18-20) may or may not be a continuation of the 'sin not leading to death' thoughts above. But it is a message introduced early in this letter. When we have Christ in our lives, and are controlled/empowered by the Holy Spirit, we will not live in sin. Again, we will commit sins until we go to heaven. We are broken. But we are not consumed by sin, We are not condemned to practice sin. 'Practice' as in doing it on purpose, over and over and over, all the while knowing better. 'Practice' as in practicing law, or a doctor's practice - and endeavor, avocation, way of life.
One truism from this verse - Jesus was born of God through Mary. God has Jesus at His right hand in heaven, and has been there since the resurrection and ascension. Satan cannot touch Him - cannot bother, cannot torture, cannot tempt, cannot annoy. Satan is helpless. When we are reborn, 'born of God', we now are under the umbrella of protection. God will not allow us to be taken away by Satan. Now, how that corresponds to a believer becoming apostate is a quandary. I would ask, if I am God's, how do I become an enemy of God? How do I progress from belief to antipathy to Him? If I am in His hand, if I am protected by Him, how do I stray so badly that I hate HIM?
The first half of this verse indicates 'no one'... sins. Can I conclude from this that the one who becomes apostate was never born of God? I think this verse is not directly about Jesus, even though it does fit with what He as done, and where He is.
The first part of this letter is setting forth the way you can know you are saved, by putting forth 'If...Then' statements. We know we are His if we obey His commands. Likewise, we can know we are kept by God, kept safe, if we keep His commandments. And if we keep His commandments, He will keep us. There is no need to worry about being apostate, or sins that lead to death if we follow Him. He will not let us fall. Praise the Lord!

***
Vs. 5:19 – We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. -

While the rest of the world is beset by Satan, and is under Satan's sway - God calls people to Him. Those that respond to Christ are no longer under the power of Satan. Isn't that amazing!

***
Vs. 5:20 – And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. -

Verses 18, 19, and 20 each start off with 'we know' - (1) God keeps those who are born of Him; (2) We are God"s, but the world is Satan's; (3) the Son of God has come to show us understanding and the truth, including both the Son and the Father. When we listen to the gospel, God himself through the Holy Spirit helps us to understand. When we commit our selves to Jesus we can see the truth more clearly, and we understand and see the eternal life.

Knowledge and understanding, eternal life - what more could we ask for?

***
Vs. 5:21 – Little children, guard yourselves from idols. -

This statement seems to come out of the blue. Just as in the Old Testament, there is always the danger that we will begin to substitute a physical object for the real thing. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, 'God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.' John 4:23, 24 If we substitute any object, whether it is the cross, the shroud of Turin, a chalice, an empty tomb, for our worship we open ourselves to trouble. If we pray to an icon, a picture, any object, we are not worshipping Christ, we are not worshipping God.
Go back to verse 20 - we have the Son, we have understanding, we have the truth. We have the true one, we have the eternal life. Don't be distracted by things, stuff. We have the true one - focus on Him, and Him alone. We will be fine.

You can know this!
End of chapter.
Completed 22Jun2015