Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!According to his great mercy,he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,kept in heaven for you. (1 Peter 1:3-4)
As a messenger of Jesus, Peter also wrote two letters to new Jewish believers to encourage them and instruct them. In these verses Peter is saying is that God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, deserves our praise and gratitude for His goodness to us. Jesus rose from the dead, and as believers, we are new creatures who belong to Jesus and who have a hope for eternity in the presence of Jesus Christ.
Peter addressed his letters to believers who are a minority. In many ways they were like outsiders. As Jewish Christians they were driven out of Jerusalem. They lived in Asia Minor, an area now known as Turkey. As Christians, they lived as aliens among unbelievers in a foreign culture. From the beginning Christians dealt with rejection and persecution. Like a shepherd tends his sheep, Peter attended to his fellow believers with care in their suffering. He encourages them and motivates them as he teaches them more about Jesus in his letters.
Have you received encouragement from other believers? Did it have an impact on your life? In what way can you be an encouragement to other believers?
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