1. 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.
2. Read 1 Peter 1:17-21
3. 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?”
4. According to 1 Peter 1:18-21, what should motivate us to relate to God with reverential awe and respect?
5. 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”?
6. 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?
7. 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.
8. Why is Jesus death said to be “foreknown” by God “before the foundation of the world?”  What do you think that means?
9. 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.

1. As you pray for your study today, ask God to use His Word in your life as the writer of Hebrews prayed in Hebrews 13:20-21: “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen.”
2. Read 1 Peter 1:13-16
3. 1 Peter 1:13 contains a colorful description of the Christian mind.  First, the Christian is to be “preparing your minds for action.”  A more literal rendering of the original Greek words that lie behind our English translation, says  “gird up the loins of your mind.”  In the first century, a person might wear a long tunic that hung down past their knees.  A person would wear this tunic down until it was time for work or war.  At that point, they would “gird up” their tunic and tuck it into their belt so they could work or fight without being tripped up or encumbered by their robes.  This was a common expression for someone’s clothing.  What do you think Peter meant here when he encourages Christians to gird up their minds?
4. 1:13 seems to be a clear call to action for the Christian to be vigilant with their thought life.  Are there thoughts that consistently trip you up and prevent you from having hope and/or being obedient to Christ in this life?
5. Additionally, Christians are called to be sober-minded in 1:13.  This is the opposite of being drunk, where someone loses control of their thoughts.  To be sober-minded, means to remain self-control and focused on the things of God.  Specifically, Christians are to maintain focus on the hope found in the revelation (or second coming) of Jesus Christ.  In what way would having a future hope in Christ help you to maintain focus and commitment towards obedience to Christ?
6. 1:14 calls Christians obedient children (not ignorant conformers).  The idea is that we are born again (as we saw last week) in Christ, and have a new identity tied to a Heavenly Father who has a new future.  Since we have all this, we should live a life marked by our new family resemblance, not marked by the old patterns of the world.  What are some areas of your life you are tempted to live life contrary to God’s best for you, despite your new identity in Christ?
7. Throughout this passage, God is described as “holy” and we are challenged to be “holy.”  What do you think this word means?
8. The call to be holy is a call to obedience in practice, not just orthodoxy implanted in our brains — to live out, not just to know in.  Reflecting further on this Warren Wiersbe says, “We do not study the Bible just to get to know the Bible.  We study the Bible that we might get to know God better.  Too many earnest Bible students are content with outlines and explanations, and do not really get to know God.  It is good to know the Word of God, but this should help us better know the God of the Word.” Getting to know the “God of the Word” as Wiersbe indicates, will let us know that God is holy, therefore, following Him leads us into holy living.  When you read the word of God, do you typically read it to get to know God, or to impress God (and others) with what you know?
9. How does knowing God challenge you to make changes in your life today?

To link to the entire “True Grace” Study of 1 Peter for download, click here.

1989 was a year of freedom.  The Polish people voted out communism, the Berlin Wall came down, Chinese students protested in Tiananmen Square, and Michael Keaton’s Batman liberated Gotham from Jack Nicholson’s Joker.  While most of the headlines from the front page of 1989 talked of victory, a big defeat ran as the lead on the sports page.

In 1989 Pete Rose was banned from baseball for life.  Though Major League Baseball did not have hard evidence at the time regarding what games Rose had wagered on, it was clear that he had a gambling problem, and it was strongly believed that he had bet on baseball games, maybe even games his Cincinnati Reds (the team he managed at the time) were playing in.  Betting on baseball by someone inside the game is about the biggest “no-no” in the big leagues.  Think about it, you can commit a felony and be an all star.  You can be on steroids and set home run records.  You can commit moral failure, and still have product endorsements.  However, you bet on the game . . . and you will never see the clubhouse again.

Facing the prospects of public humiliation and suspension, Rose began negotiations with Bart Giamatti, the commissioner of baseball.  Giamatti (and his right hand man, Faye Vincent) offered Rose a 10 year ban from baseball, if he would admit his guilt.  Rose rejected the offer.  Then they offered him 7 years.  Again, Rose rejected . . . he refused to admit his guilt.  Finally, Giamatti offered Rose a “life time ban,” but with the possibility for reinstatement after one year.  This offer (though the most uncertain) also carried with it no mea culpa, so Rose signed on trusting in a handshake agreement with Giamatti that he would be reinstated one year later.  This seemed like a good plan to Rose.  26 years later, Rose is still banned from baseball.  What happened?

Nine days after signing the agreement with Rose, Giamatti died.  With Giamatti’s death, Rose’s dream for reinstatement died as well.  Faye Vincent would become the commissioner of baseball, and he did not share Giamatti’s quick timeline for reinstatement.  As time has gone on, public sentiment has kept the tide against Rose’s return as commissioners continue to deny his appeal.

I go through this story today, because its antithesis reminds me of a great Christian truth found for us in 1 Peter 1:3-5.  The New Testament speaks of the sinful condition that plagues all of humanity.  Because we are all sinful, we all have an “eternal ban” from spending an eternity with God in heaven.  Further, the New Testament tells us that we have no hope for ever negotiating reinstatement to the kingdom of God based on our good works or religious knowledge.  This is terrible news.  However, this is not all of the story.  Though we cannot negotiate our way into heaven, God can give us access into fellowship with Him on the basis of what Jesus Christ has done for us.  His life, death, and resurrection provide the only hope that mankind has for being back in the eternal game.  If we place our faith in Him, He promises to reinstate us into fellowship with God . . . fellowship that was broken when Adam and Eve tasted the wrong fruit in the Garden.  Therefore, we are asked to place all our faith in Him.

Now, if Jesus were like any other human, placing our faith in Him alone would be a risky proposition.  As Pete Rose found out, even when someone promises to do something nice, they may not be able to follow through on that claim because of their own limitations (yes physical death is a limitation in this life ).  1 Peter 1:3-5, however, lets us know that placing our faith in Jesus does not carry with it the same set of risks.  These verses say, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”  I believe these verses talk about the certainty of our hope in Christ.  Our hope for reinstatement is certain because it is founded in the One who is alive!  It is a living hope for our new life because He is alive and will never again experience death.

Giamatti’s death spelled Rose’s doom.  Christ’s life promises our hope.  Place your faith in Him and be certain of your salvation.  He has broken down the wall of separation and ushered in our eternal freedom.

Join us at Wildwood Community Church on Sunday, June 7 as we unpack 1 Peter 1:1-12 in a deeper way as a part of week 1 of our “True Grace” Sermon series.  Hope to see you there!

To access the entire “True Grace” study of 1 Peter, click here.

1. Take a moment to pray.  Praise God for His Word and ask Him to teach you its truth, just as the psalmist prayed in Psalm 119:12-16, “Praise be to You, O Lord; teach me Your decrees.  With my lips I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth.  I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.  I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways.  I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word.”
2. Read 1 Peter 1:8-12
3. STUDY NOTE:  For hundreds of years before Jesus was born, God sent prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and others to describe to God’s people in written form a reality that they did not see in their day.  These prophets spoke of a coming Messiah who would liberate the people from bondage, inaugurate a new covenant . . . a better covenant that would govern the relationship between God and man.  The prophets also spoke of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit into the lives of God’s people.  These were events that the prophets described but never saw with their own eyes.
4. Look at the context of 1 Peter 1:1-12.  What do you think is Peter’s point in referencing the Old Testament prophets in 1:10?
5. The Christians who were the original recipients of this letter most likely had never seen Jesus with their own eyes.  This is a fairly accurate hypothesis because of two primary reasons:  place and time.  The recipients of this letter lived in Asia, many miles from Israel (where Jesus spent His entire ministry life . . . after a brief time in Egypt as a very small child.)  Also, this letter was written 30+ years after Jesus death, resurrection, and ascension.  Though many eyewitnesses to Jesus life were still alive at this point, an entire generation of Christ followers had arisen following the testimony of the Apostles without having seen Jesus themselves.  Therefore, the recipients of this letter (like us today) had placed their hope in someone they had never seen with their own eyes.  They loved Him, embraced Him, but had not seen Him (1 Peter 1:8).  Why do you think Peter pointed that out to his readers in the context of 1 Peter 1:1-12?
6. STUDY NOTE:  It seems that the big point Peter is making about the Christian life is that we hope and rejoice for things we have not yet seen with our own eyes, and tied to a Savior we have never touched with our own hands.  However, we can have certainty that God will make good on these unseen yet spoken promises just as He made good on the promises He gave to the Old Testament prophets about the coming of a future Messiah.
7. Peter indicates in 1:12 that all of creation is longing for and awaiting the return of Jesus Christ.  The events between His first coming (which resulted in His death on the cross to provide spiritual freedom) and His second coming (which will result in physical freedom and life) are  the most anticipated in history.  Even angels have longed to see the times we are living and the things which are not far off.  How does this perspective encourage you about living life in our world today?

To link to the entire “True Grace” Study of 1 Peter for download, click here.

1. 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.
2. Read 1 Peter 1:3-9
3. Peter begins the heart of this letter by praising God for the mercy He has shown to His people.  The specific expression of mercy referenced in 1:3 is the giving of hope.  Have you ever had a time in your life when you had no hope?  What caused you to feel that way?  Are you experiencing any hopelessness now?
4. The letter of 1 Peter is a letter of hope.  Throughout the book, believers in Jesus are encouraged and given hope, even while they are living in very difficult circumstances (as we will see later in today’s study).  How is it possible (in your opinion) for someone to have hope when their immediate circumstances are disheartening?
5. Peter anchors their hope to the living Son of God in 1 Peter 1:3 who rose from the dead and offers us a new life out of the dying world around us.  He describes it as being “born again” or given a new identity . . . a new direction . . . a fresh start with a  certain future in Christ.  Why do you think Jesus chose the phrase “born again” to describe someone after they have come into a saving relationship with Him (Peter borrows the phrase “born again” from Jesus use of it in John 3)?
6. The hope that Christians have is alive now, but is also tied to a future reality.  The inheritance of the Christian is protected and waiting for followers of Jesus in heaven (1:4).  What are some of the things that a Christian has to look forward to in heaven?  Can you think of any advantages to our primary reward/inheritance being in heaven and not simply now?
7. STUDY NOTE:  In 1:6, we see our first reference to trials or difficulties endured by the Christian in this life.  1 Peter was a letter written during a time of intense difficulty by Christians, and Peter does not dodge this issue.  15 times in this short letter Peter references hardship, using 8 different words to describe its suffering.  The general phrase “various trials” is used in 1:6, and this phrase includes (but is not limited to) direct persecution for their faith.  Good tradition dates 1 Peter to around 64 CE.  Peter wrote the letter while he was living in the city of Rome.  This was a particularly difficult time for Christians in the Roman Empire.  In July of 64, The Roman Emperor Nero blamed a fire in the capital on Christians (for no reason) and began a systematic persecution of Christians throughout the empire.  This persecution would impact all Christians to various degrees, and ultimately lead to the martyrdom of both Peter and Paul just a few years removed from the writing of this letter.  Indeed, the Lord knew that His church would need encouragement in the trials they were facing, so He directed Peter to write this letter of hope and encouragement to those living in this difficult land.
8. What are some of the difficulties you are currently facing in life?  Peter encourages us to rejoice as we are experiencing these trials.  How does knowing your future in Christ help you rejoice in present struggle?
9. Reflecting on 1 Peter 1:7, Tom Constable says, “Trials do to faith what fire does to gold.  They purify it and show it to be what it really is.”  How do you think trials help reveal what we really believe?  Can you think of any examples from your own life?

To link to the entire “True Grace” Study of 1 Peter for download, click here.

1. As you pray for your study today, ask God to use His Word in your life as the writer of Hebrews prayed in Hebrews 13:20-21: “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen.”
2. Read 1 Peter 1:1-2
3. STUDY NOTE:  In America today, it is customary to begin a letter by saying “Dear ______” (to identify who the letter is TO), and to conclude the letter saying “Sincerely, _________” (to identify who the letter is FROM).  In letters written in the first century in the Roman Empire, it was customary to begin the letter citing both who the letter was TO, and who the letter was FROM.  Therefore, 1:1 lets us know that the letter was written from the Apostle Peter to the “elect exiles of the dispersion.”
4. Take a minute and brainstorm all the things you know about the Apostle Peter.  Who was he?  What was his profession before he began following Jesus?  What were some of the significant events of his life? (If you are not sure how to answer this question, take a minute to scan the Gospel of Mark or Luke and the book of Acts.  Peter’s name is all over the pages of these books.)
5. STUDY NOTE:  Peter wrote this letter to the “elect exiles of the dispersion.”  This is an odd sounding group.  The original audience could also be titled the “selected scattered strangers.”  Three ideas are communicated here.  1) This group was “elect” or “selected.”  This pointed to God’s gracious initiation in the lives of His people.  God is always the first mover with His people.  Historically, the Jewish people referred to themselves as the elect of God, however, this letter was not just written to Jewish people (as their geography/ethnicity and chapter 2 will make clear.)  Peter’s declaration here is a reminder that God has selected some Gentiles (as well as some Jews) and pursued a special relationship with them.  This was true both of the original audience, as well as true of all true Christians today.  (2) This group was “of the dispersion” or “scattered.”  In Old Testament times, Jews who lived outside of the promised land of Israel due to forced exile by enemy armies were called members of the “dispersion.”  Peter here uses the term in a more general sense (as the context of the book reveals) to talk about all followers of Christ who are scattered about the earth, living away from our heavenly home.  Though the original audience was scattered across modern day Turkey, the application of this letter is universal for all Christians.  (3)  This group is also called “exiles” or “strangers.”  This word carried with it the notion of being a long way from home, living in a foreign land.  All believers in Jesus Christ live out our life on this earth as foreigners on the earth.  In Christ, we speak a language of love and forgiveness in a world of retribution and self-centeredness.  This causes us to never be fully “at home” on this planet.  We are merely journeying here, awaiting the home Jesus has prepared for us in heaven.
6. 1 Peter 1:2 is full of descriptive phrases that are true of all Christians.  Take a moment and write down what you think Peter means by each of the following phrases:

• according to the foreknowledge of God —

• in the sanctification of the Spirit —

• for obedience to Jesus Christ —

• for sprinkling with His blood —

7.  In 1:2, all 3 members of the Trinity are referenced, and it seems the intended meaning of the statement is to encourage Christians to remember that they are in a living and active relationship with the full and holy God of the universe.  Warren Wiersbe reflected on this truth when he said, “As far as God the Father is concerned, I was saved when He chose me in Christ before the foundation of the world. As far as the Son is concerned, I was saved when He died for me on the cross. But as far as the Spirit is concerned, I was saved one night in May 1945 when I heard the gospel and received Christ. Then it all came together, but it took all three Persons of the Godhead to bring me to salvation. If we separate these ministries, we will either deny divine sovereignty or human responsibility, and that would lead to heresy.”  Can you write a similar summary of your salvation experience?  For all who are truly saved the first two points in Wiersbe’s quote are the same, but the time and place of the third portion are different.  Share how the Spirit of God led you into an understanding that Jesus is your Savior.  (NOTE:  If you have not yet trusted in Christ as Savior, reflect on what is keeping you from placing your faith and trust in Him.)

To link to the entire “True Grace” Study of 1 Peter for download, click here.

Are you looking for a resource or plan for Bible Study for this summer?  If so, I have one more option for you to consider.  At Wildwood Community Church from June 7 – August 9, 2015, I will be preaching a sermon series based on the book of 1 Peter entitled “True Grace.”  In addition to the sermons, I have written a 119 page Bible Study guide to accompany this series.  For each week of the sermon series, there are six days of guided study on the section of 1 Peter we are looking at for that week.  Then, on the seventh day (Sunday), I will be preaching on that section.  Therefore, if you are going to study along with this, you can begin week one on Monday, June 1.

You can access this study in a variety of ways:

• You can download the entire study in pdf format by clicking here.
• You can download the entire study in eBook format by clicking here.
• Beginning Tuesday of next week (June 2), I will begin posting each day’s study questions on this blog.  You can subscribe to this blog via the prompts in the sidebar.
• Beginning Tuesday of next week (June 2), I will be posting each day’s study  questions on Wildwood’s “City” internal communication network.
• I will also be posting prompts for new posts via my Twitter account.  You can follow me on Twitter here.

My hope and prayer is that through these resources we will all come to a greater understanding of who Jesus Christ is, and what He has done for us, so that we would have faith, hope and love as we live out our lives in hostile territory.  If you end up using this study, please let me know!
In Christ,

Mark Robinson

Beginning Sunday, June 7, I am starting a new sermon series at Wildwood Community Church entitled “True Grace.”  This 10 week series will take us through the book of 1 Peter.  We recently filmed a short “teaser” for this series, and you can see this video below.

If you are in Norman this summer, make plans to join us at 9:30 or 10:50 beginning June 7!  If you are outside of Norman this summer, check back to this blog often for more resources related to this series.