- As you prepare your heart for study, know that God desires to reveal Himself to you, and He has given you His Holy Spirit to guide you into truth. Before you open in prayer, consider Jeremiah 9:23-24. “This is what the Lord declares: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.” Pray for this understanding and knowledge of God with the Holy Spirit as your guide.
- Read 1 Peter 1:17-21
- 1 Peter 1:17 speaks of relating to our heavenly Father “with fear.” In fleshing out some of the nuances of this idea, Warren Wiersbe said, “In view of the fact that the Father lovingly disciplines His children today and will judge their works in the future, we ought to cultivate an attitude of godly fear. This is not the cringing fear of a slave before a master, but the loving reverence of a child before his father. It is not fear of judgment (1 John 4:18), but a fear of disappointing Him or sinning against His love. It is “godly fear” (2 Cor. 7:1), a sober reverence for the Father.” What does it look like to relate to God “with fear?”
- According to 1 Peter 1:18-21, what should motivate us to relate to God with reverential awe and respect?
- In the first century, slaves were numerous throughout the Roman Empire. A first century slave could purchase their freedom by paying a ransom price for their release. Peter taps into this imagery in 1 Peter 1:18 by pointing out that Christians have had their freedom purchased by what Jesus has done for them. In what way has sin in your life proved “futile”?
- Silver and gold (things used to purchase slaves freedoms in the first century) can tarnish, be lost, or diminish in value. By contrast, however, Christians are freed by the precious blood of Jesus which never depreciates. In what way does Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the grave provide a blessing for Christians that cannot fade?
- STUDY NOTE: The image of 1:19 is of Jesus as the Passover Lamb. In the time of their exodus from Egypt in the days of Moses, God had the Israelites sacrifice a spotless lamb and wipe the blood of the sheep on the doorposts to their homes. When the angel of death passed through the land, those with the lamb’s blood on their door frame were spared, while death entered the homes of those not protected. This imagery was maintained in Judaism over the years as Jews sacrificed lambs each Passover with the hope of God’s forgiveness and protection. As the perfect “Passover Lamb” Jesus’ death provides the perfect sacrifice to deliver the hope always longed for with the sacrificing of lambs each Passover.
- Why is Jesus death said to be “foreknown” by God “before the foundation of the world?” What do you think that means?
- According to 1 Peter 1:21, Jesus’ death and resurrection provide the foundation of our hope and a reason for us to live a holy life (1:15-16). How does remembering what Jesus has done for you provide motivation for you to embrace a life of obedience and healthy fear of the Lord?
To link to the entire “True Grace” Study of 1 Peter for download, click here.