In this sermon, we looked at 1 Peter 1:13-25 to see Peter's first commands for the Christians who were suffering persecution in Asia Minor. Building from the opening doxology in verses 3-9, Peter roots his instructions for the Church in what is already true about them: They have been born again into a living hope and an inheritance that is untouched by death, unstained by evil, and unimpaired by time. With this foundational truth in place, Peter first commands these believers to set their hope completely on the grace of Jesus. With their hope set on the grace of Jesus, Peter commands them to live in holiness and reverence to God, seeing Him as a loving Father who can be trusted, even in His judgement. Peter then commands these believers to love one another earnestly, with a pure heart, out of the secure and reverent relationship they have with God. In the same way today, we can be assured of this inheritance we have in Jesus as we set our hope on Him, live in holiness and reverence to God, and love one another earnestly out of the love He has given to us.
