Pastor Tim’s Daily Bible Bit: I Peter 1:1-2 NLT

¹This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.

As one of the 12 apostles, Peter had special authority from Jesus to instruct the early church. God used the apostles to write the New Testament.

I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.

Obviously, this letter got passed around. If you are a Christian, you are also one of God’s chosen people and a foreigner in the sense that you live in a world that does not know God. It is good for us strangers to group up and help each other in this foreign culture. 

²God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

All three persons of the Trinity were involved in you becoming a Christian. Your Father knew and loved you before you were born. He chose you and the Holy Spirit sanctified you. He would never abandon His plan for you. Your first act of obedience was to place your trust in Jesus for forgiveness of sins. The cleansing you received was possible because Jesus willingly placed Himself under the Father’s punishment for your crimes against God. Continuing obedience to our Rescuer is a way of life for us Christians. 

May God give you more and more grace and peace.

God wants you to experience even more of His kindness and peace of mind. As you take steps of obedience toward becoming more and more like Jesus (our example), you do experience more grace and peace. Share it with others!

Prayer:

Ask God to help you and those Christians around you gain more confidence in the great love of your Father and grow in your desire to obey Him.