1 Peter – Final Summary Men of Grace February 3, 2009 Brian Christie

1 Peter StudyMen of Grace 2 Tentative Outline 1:1-2 Greeting and spiritual identity 1:3-2:10 Chosen by God for full and final salvation 1:3-12God’s gift of final salvation 1:13-2:3 God’s calling to a holy lifestyle 2:4-10God’s choice of a special people 2:11-4:19 Honorable behavior in the midst of suffering 2:11-25Submission to appropriate legal authorities 3:1-12Submission/respect in marriage and in the church 3:13-22Doing good in the midst of suffering 4:1-11Christlike attitude in the world and in the church 4:12-19Be happy, do right, trust God 5:1-9 Serving each other in the church 5:10-14 Summary of letters’ content and purpose

1 Peter StudyMen of Grace 3 1 Peter – Final Summary MAIN IDEA: As Christians we are temporary residents and foreigners in this world. Our citizenship is really in heaven not on the earth.

1 Peter StudyMen of Grace 4 1 Peter – Final Summary This is a major theme of 1 Peter: 1 Peter 1:1 – 2 “This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.”

1 Peter StudyMen of Grace 5 1 Peter – Final Summary 1 Peter 1:17 “And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as “foreigners in the land.”

1 Peter StudyMen of Grace 6 1 Peter – Final Summary 1 Peter 2:11 – 12 “Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.”

1 Peter StudyMen of Grace 7 1 Peter – Final Summary Old Testament spiritual heroes are also described as “foreigners and nomads here on earth.” Hebrews 11:13 – 16 “All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”

1 Peter StudyMen of Grace 8 1 Peter – Final Summary The Apostle Paul also reminds us that we are “citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.” Philippines 3:20 – 21 “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.”

1 Peter StudyMen of Grace 9 1 Peter – Final Summary As citizens of heaven we need to constantly “set our sights on the realities of heaven.” Colossians 3:1 – 4 “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.”

1 Peter StudyMen of Grace 10 1 Peter – Final Summary As citizens of heaven: We are not surprised by trials and suffering in this fallen world in which we temporarily live (1 Peter). We live properly among our unbelieving neighbors (1 Peter 2:11-12). We are looking for, and focussed on, a better place, a heavenly homeland (Hebrews 11:13-16).

1 Peter StudyMen of Grace 11 1 Peter – Final Summary We are heavenly minded and eagerly wait for Christ our Savior to return and give us our resurrection bodies (Philippians 3:20-21). We think about the things of heaven not the things of earth (Colossians 3:1-4) We persevere through temporary trials (1 Peter).

1 Peter StudyMen of Grace 12 1 Peter – Final Summary Discussion Questions: 1.How can we encourage ourselves and each other to see ourselves as temporary residents and foreigners here on earth and as really citizens of heaven who happen to live on earth for a short while? 2. In what areas would our lives change if we really grasped the reality of being citizens of heaven? Name three areas you think would be most affected.

Thank You