1 Peter 1, Summary of doctrine taught

Tod Kennedy, 1998

Three facts about election--God selects and secures believers into his plan, 1 Peter 1.1-2

1. God the Father foreknows those who will believe--he knows ahead of time.

2. The Holy Spirit sanctifies (sets apart for and convinces about the gospel) those who shall believe.

3. The individual obeys (believes) the gospel, and God reconciles him through Christ’s death.

Three results of our spiritual birth, 1 Peter 1.3-5

1. We have a lively, energizing hope for time and eternity (1.3).

2. We have a positional inheritance (1.4).

3. We have an eternal salvation to be physically revealed to us (1.5).

Four truths about our positional inheritance, 1 Peter 1.4

1. It is imperishable--will last forever.

2. It is undefiled--righteously and honestly awarded.

3. It is unfading--will never go bad or wilt.

4. It is held on reserve for you--will be there when you arrive. 

Trials or tests may be unpleasant, but they are opportunities for blessing, 1 Peter 1.6-8

1. We can presently rejoice--even though we are presently pressed by trials--in the fact that at a future time Christ will reveal himself to believers; we will see him and he will evaluate us (1.6).

2. Pressing trials are opportunities to prove our Christian way of life faith (1.7).

3. Christ will commend us at his judgment seat (Judgment Seat of Christ) for our Christian way of life faith proved under trials. If we fail under trial, we still have our salvation, but we will receive little or no commendation from him (1.7).

4. Even while being tested we can believe the Lord, love the Lord, and greatly rejoice in him through our eyes of faith that see him in his word though we cannot see him with our physical eyes (1.8).

Salvation is the outcome of our faith, 1 Peter 1.9-12

1. We have a wonderful, God designed future no matter how much testing we may face. That future includes salvation from tests, suffering, and sin. Salvation is eternal, the fulfillment of God's promise to believers, and called salvation of our soul or life (1.9).

2. The Old Testament prophets studied hard to learn about Messiah's suffering (first coming) and glory (second coming). These comings provide grace salvation for believers (1.10-11).

3. The Holy Spirit told the prophets about Christ's first and second coming long before he came (1.10-11).

4. Topics of the Holy Spirit's Old Testament teaching ministry were: 1) Christ will come to die (suffer) 2) He will come to rule (glory) 3) Grace salvation offered to mankind (1.11-12).

5. The OT prophets were not only speaking to their generation, but also to future generations. They were spreading the word and passing the biblical torch.

6. Angels, along with prophets and present believers, want to find out about God's gracious salvation that is through Christ's two comings (1 Pet 1.12). 

Since salvation is our certain possession, live with that in mind, 1 Peter 1.13-16

1. Life now has many, many tests; salvation has already begun, so we can successfully live no matter what the circumstances may be (1.13).

2. Successful living demands spiritual action right now:

2.1. Get your head in the Christian way of life--get prepared (1.13).

2.2. Think clearly about life (1.13).

2.3. Live with an expectant hope for Christ's return (1.13).

2.4. Do not live like unbelievers live (1.14).

2.5. Believers are saints, holy ones, sanctified ones; live like the person God has made you (1.15-16).

3. Five ideas that help us understand and apply holiness:

3.1. Identity: we are believers; we are identified with God; we are members of the body of Christ; we have divine operating assets; we possess the Royal Birthright. Therefore, we can have the right view of ourselves and of other believers; we can have the right view of our place in the body of Christ.

3.2. Purpose: we believer-priests serve God. This service requires knowing God's word, applying God's word, spreading God's word, prayer, and divine good production.

3. 3. Destiny: our destiny and citizenship is in heaven; our future is secure; believer-priest service is spiritual investment for future rewards.

3.4. Life: right now, we are set apart to God; we choose his life and reject any other kind of life. We learn and apply Biblical guidelines, commands, and principles. We can live each day better than we lived the previous day. This is the saintly kind life.

3.5. Character: The reproduction of what God is like that he builds into our souls. Character includes the inner virtues that come from our union with Christ and from our inner transformation through spiritual growth. These virtues reflect our sainthood. 

God is our Heavenly Father, 1 Peter 1.17-21

1. God is our Heavenly Father; as our Heavenly Father, he evaluates us so that he may reprimand and reward us. These truths ought to determine how we live. We should think of ourselves as his children (1.17).

2. Each of our lives on earth is a pilgrimage designed by God (1.17).

3. The Father redeemed us through the unique sacrifice of his Son. Our knowledge of this motivates us to live as obedient sons of our Father (1.18-19).

4. The Father and the Son knew they would need to redeem mankind; they knew it even before they created the world (1.20).

5. Christ, the Father's Son, has shown us what the Father is like; because of the Son, we believe in the Father (1.20).