7 Good Bible Verses From The Book of 1 Peter

Here are seven powerful Bible verses from the Book of 1st Peter.

First Peter 1:6-7 “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The Apostle Peter, in writing to the dispersed Jews (1:1), knew that they had suffered severely but wanted them to have an eternal perspective and see this life as a journey in reaching the end, which would culminate in “praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” The way that we are purified by trials and suffering is much like how gold is refined as it’s passed through the fire until all the dross is burned off. The refiner knows when the gold is finished being refined. It’s when he sees his own reflection in it; so too with God Who is refining us into the image of Jesus Christ, with the fires of life burning away everything that is not Christ-like.

First Peter 1:18-19 “Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

Peter want’s the church to get this; that we were ransomed from the way that we and our fathers used to live; a life of sin in self-gratification. We who have trusted in Christ have been ransomed from the god of this world (2nd Cor 4:3-4), but not with monetary value but with the precious blood of the spotless Lamb of God, which no money could ever buy. That knowledge should keep us all humble.

First Peter 2:5 “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Today, it is as Jesus prophesied; I will build my church and the gates of hell or death won’t stop it (Matt 16:18) and He is building it one living stone after another and you are part of that building if you’ve had a time in your life where you’ve repented and trusted in Christ. If not, whatever good you can do is nothing more than filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6). It might look good to humans but to God, it’s simply sheer human effort which cannot even save us (Eph 2:9).

First Peter 2:9-10 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

The fact that God calls us a “chosen race” and “a royal priesthood” points to the future kingdom where the Apostle John wrote that God “made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever” (Rev 1:6) which mission was originally give to Israel in Exodus 19:6: “And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” Since they failed in that mission, it says of God about the church, “you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth” (Rev 5:10).

First Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

When people ask you about your faith, what do you tell them? Are you prepared to give an answer that might give them hope and show them the hope that you have in Christ? We should always be ready for that but to do so with “gentleness and respect.” No one was ever argued into heaven and no one can be debated out of hell. We just need to give them the reason for our hope and leave the results up to God and trust Him for He is the Lord of the Harvest.

First Peter 4:14 “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.”

What a blessing it is to be insulted for Christ. Jesus said “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:10-12). Don’t take it personally if you’re insulted for Jesus’ sake, because if you are, “the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” and that’s what you want too, isn’t it?

First Peter 4:18 “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

What a testimony to the faithfulness of God. He should have given up on us long, long ago, but on account of Jesus imputation on our behalf, we can be seen by God as having the very same righteousness as Jesus Christ does (2nd Cor 5:21) and that should make us ambassadors for Him (2nd Cor 5:20). Peter is saying, since the righteous are just barely saved (through Christ), what fate will await those who have rejected the only Person that they could be saved by (Acts 4:12)?

Conclusion

The fate for all unbelievers is the very wrath of God (John 3:36b) but God’s wrath doesn’t abide on them in just this life but in the eternity that’s coming (Rev 20:12-15). If we think of how great a salvation we have, we should be compelled to take this gospel of hope to those who are presently hopeless and without a chance unless the repent and turn to Christ. Since Christ died for us, try to seek out those who are still dead in their sins (Eph 2:1) and have only a fiery expectation to come at the present time.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.