1 Peter 1 Lesson

INTRODUCTION TO 1 PETER

Today we will begin a five-day study on 1 Peter.  In this epistle, Peter writes about persecution, suffering, and the perfect example of Jesus.

This epistle takes on one of the most important questions for all of us to consider; “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?”

WHY GOD ALLOWS SUFFERING

The Bible teaches us that God allows us to suffer for three reasons:

1. To discipline us,
2. To teach us,
3. To shape us into the Christians that God created us to be.

SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES

1. “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are punished by Him; for whom the Lord loves He disciplines , and He punishes every son whom He accepts.  It is for discipline that you endure;  God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” – Hebrews 12:5-7,
2. “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” - James 1:2-4,
3. “Tribulation brings about perseverance;  and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;  and hope does not disappoint, because the love God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” – Romans 5:3-5.   

SUFFERING TEACHES US

Adversity and suffering are important steps in the development of a Christian.  If we approach suffering with a Godly attitude, and let the Holy Spirit work through us, God will use suffering to do four things:

1. Perfect us,
2. Confirm us,
3. Strengthen us,
4. And establish us!

SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE

• “And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” – 1 Peter 5:10.

GOING “ALL-IN”

In chapter 1 Peter 4:19, Peter writes:

• “Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” – 1 Peter 4:19.

Peter is talking about going, “All-in.”  He is writing about entrusting our souls to God. He explains that when we fully commit our lives to glorifying God and serving others, we obtain a precious inheritance.  One that is imperishable, undefiled, reserved in heaven for us, and that will never fade away. 

Suffering and hope are key themes found in the Bible.  God did not spare Jesus from suffering. He did not spare the Apostles. And He will not spare us. But if we can persevere through our suffering, and at the same time be filled with hope, we will be the light and salt that God created us to be (Mathew 5:13-16).

HOPE SUSTAINS US DURING HARD TIMES

It is our hope in Jesus that allows us to get through even the grimmest of circumstances.  Without hope, we would be lost.

The Apostle Paul discussed hope in his letter to the Romans.  He wrote:

• “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” - Romans 15:13.

• “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” - Romans 15:4.

Notice how Paul does not only write about perseverance.  He also talks about, “The encouragement of the Scriptures.”  To have hope, we must not only persevere, but we must also remain in God’s Word.  The encouragement that can only be found in God’s Word will give us hope. It is this hope that will allow us to persevere through even the most difficult of circumstances. But we must trust God. We must trust in His plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11).

CONCLUSION

• “And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” – 1 Peter 5:10.

Peter's phrase "after a little while" in the above scripture is significant because it points out that our suffering is temporary. In the heat of the moment, it may feel as if we will never see better days.  We can become discouraged and fooled into thinking that our suffering is permanent if we are not careful.

In times of suffering, we need to put our trust in God and allow His plan for us to unfold. If we maintain a Godly attitude in times of adversity, we will be pleasing to God and His light will shine through us. Mathew 5:16.

We need to remember that we are not in it alone. We have our Brothers and Sisters in Christ, and we have the Holy Spirit to help us.

Our suffering is temporary. For those who obey the Gospel, an eternity in Heaven awaits!

Finally, there is a lot that we can learn through our suffering. God uses suffering to do four things:

1. Perfect us,
2. Confirm us,
3. Strengthen us,
4. And establish us!

We will end today’s study with the following scripture:

• “And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” – 1 Peter 5:10.