2. Who you are and what you have in Jesus Christ 1:3-2:10

2.1 Summary statement: a “new birth into a living hope” [1:3-5]

  1. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
    By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope
    through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
  1. that is, into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
    reserved in heaven for you,
  1. who by God�s power are protected through faith
    for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

2.2 A new joy [1:6-9]

  1. This brings you great joy,
    although you may have to suffer for a short time in various trials.
  1. In order that the genuineness of your faith
    (more precious than gold that perishes,
    even though it is tested by fire)
    may be found to result in praise and glory and honour
    when Jesus Christ is revealed.
  1. Though you have not seen him, you love him.
    Though you do not now see him, you believe in him,
    and rejoice with joy that is indescribable and full of glory,
  1. because you are attaining the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

2.3 A new salvation [1:10-12]

  1. Concerning this salvation,
    the prophets who predicted the grace that would come to you
    searched and investigated carefully.
  1. They probed into what person or time
    the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating
    when he testified beforehand about the sufferings appointed for Christ
    and his subsequent glory.
  1. They were shown that they were serving not themselves but you,
    in regard to the things now announced to you
    through those who proclaimed the gospel to you
    by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven
    —things angels long to catch a glimpse of.

2.4 A new hope and way of life [1:13-22]

  1. Therefore, get your minds ready for action by being fully sober,
    and set your hope completely on the grace
    that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
     
  2. Like obedient children,
    do not comply with the evil desires
    you used to follow in your ignorance,
     
  3. but, like the Holy One who called you,
    become holy yourselves in all of your conduct,
     
  4. for it is written,
    �You shall be holy, because I am holy.�
     
  5. And if you address as Father
    the one who impartially judges according to each one�s work,
    live out the time of your temporary residence here in careful obedience.
     
  6. You know that from your empty way of life
    inherited from your ancestors
    you were ransomed
    —not by perishable things like silver or gold,
  7. but by precious blood
    like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ.
     
  8. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world
    but was manifested in these last times for your sake.
  1. Through him you now trust in God,
    who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
    so that your faith and hope are in God.
     
  2. You have purified your souls by obeying the truth
    in order to show sincere mutual love.
    So love one another earnestly from a pure heart.

2.5 A new birth [1:23-2:3]

  1. You have been born anew,
    not from perishable but from imperishable seed,
    through the living and enduring word of God.
  1. For
    �all flesh is like grass
    and all its glory like the flower of the grass;
    the grass withers and the flower falls off,
    (25) but the word of the Lord endures forever.�
    And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.

Chapter 2

  1. So get rid of all evil and all deceit
    and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
     
  2. And yearn like newborn infants
    for pure, spiritual milk,
    so that by it you may grow up to salvation,
  1. if you have experienced the Lord�s kindness.

2.6 A new temple and a new people [2:4-10]

  1. So as you come to him, a living stone
    rejected by men but chosen and priceless in God�s sight,
     
  2. you yourselves, as living stones,
    are built up as a spiritual house
    to be a holy priesthood and
    to offer spiritual sacrifices
    that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
     
  3. For it says in Scripture,
    �Look, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and priceless cornerstone,
    and whoever believes in him will never be put to shame.�
     
  4. So you who believe see his value, but for those who do not believe,
    �the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,�
     
  5. and �a stumbling-stone and a rock to trip over.�
    They stumble because they disobey the word,
    as they were destined to do.
  1. But you are
    a chosen race,
    a royal priesthood,
    a holy nation,
    a people of his own,
    so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one
    who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
     
  2. You once were not a people,
    but now you are God�s people.
    You were shown no mercy,
    but now you have received mercy.

Response time

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