1 Peter 1:3-5
Thoughts from Josh Talbot
Dive Deeper
“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, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
1 Peter 1:3-5
Behind the Scenes
Peter begins this passage by positioning his heart in a posture of gratitude – “Blessed be!” With this phrase he sets a tone of thanksgiving, and we continue to read with joy and thankfulness for the grace extended to us by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is through His death on the cross and subsequent resurrection that we are given the opportunity to store up an inheritance in heaven and enter freely into His life-giving kingdom.
The first step to receiving the unperishing inheritance mentioned in verse 4, is through faith. We must first say YES to Jesus and accept the gift of forgiveness that He freely extends (John 3:16). However, when we say yes to Jesus, our lives and our actions must be transformed as well. “Thus, also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17).
By emulating the love of Christ through our faith and actions, we can store up heavenly treasures that will not perish or fade. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[e] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20).
During his time on the earth, Jesus did not sit idly by waiting to be crucified. No – during the three years leading up to his crucifixion he traveled around performing miracles, preaching, and exhibiting the love of God. The message of Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s redemptive grace had to be shared, and this could (and still can!) only be done through the actions of Jesus and ALL of His followers.
Make it Real
Have you ever been so passionate about something that it was nearly all consuming? Perhaps you found a hobby that you love, or your dream job, or God blessed you with a baby to raise – fill in the blank with whatever in life excites you! If it’s something you enjoy, you probably spend time thinking about it: dreaming about the next hunting trip you’ll get to take, the next proposal that you get to present at work, or the next cute milestone your baby is going to achieve.
But more than just dreaming, you also act. You research and carefully plan the location of your next hunting trip and purchase all supplies that you need; you spend painstaking hours pouring over data and put together the perfect presentation and proposal packets to really impress your boss; you work with your daughter each day to strengthen her legs and core so she can take her first steps. Through the hard work and effort, these actions can result in great accomplishments!
So too should be our faith in Christ. We should be so excited and passionate about our relationship with Him that we should want to emulate His love and grace through our actions. We should carefully study the Bible so that we are prepared to engage in conversation with those who have not yet found salvation. We should equip ourselves with the armor and resources given to us by God that we may stand against the enemy. And we should passionately share our testimony with others that they may be infected by your enthusiasm and drawn to the family of Christ.
As we noted at the beginning, these actions alone will not save you. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Rather they should be an overflow of the joy that you found in your salvation. The gift that was so freely extended to you, can also be freely extended to those around us. Why not invite them? We all have an “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” inheritance waiting for us in heaven. All we have to do is say “YES!”
Kristen Krimmel
ACF Devo Team
End in Prayer
Heavenly Father,
I thank you and praise you for the grace and love that you have given to me so freely. Thank you that despite my sinful nature, you are willing to call me your child and give me a portion of your inheritance. Help me to reflect your love and mercy through my actions that together we can bring more of your children into your kingdom! I love you.
Amen!