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| Bro. Craig's message posted October 21, 2008 |
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REASONS FOR REJOICING
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In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials (1 Peter 1:6 NIV)
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In times of war and economic uncertainty, rejoicing can be difficult. But as a believer you have good reasons to rejoice that are not dependent on peace or the Dow Jones Industrial average. Consider some of the reasons given by the apostle Peter in the first five verses of the first chapter of his first epistle.
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YOU are chosen. The first reason for rejoicing Peter gives you is that you are chosen. He writes to God’s elect (v.1), which means he is writing to people whom God has chosen to be his. Have you ever been picked to serve on an important committee at church, to carry out a special assignment at work, or to play on a team? If so, then you understand what Peter means when he says that his readers are chosen. While you may not understand fully how this coincides with human freedom, you should rejoice that God has chosen you to be his own. The doctrine of election is not given in Scripture to ignite debates and divide God’s people. It is given as a source of comfort and as a reason to rejoice. Just think of how God wanted you to be his own. He wanted you to serve him, to represent him, to fellowship with him, and to be the beneficiary of his riches. Isn’t that something to rejoice about?
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YOU are born again. The second reason Peter says you can rejoice is that you have been born again. In his great mercy he has given us new birth (v.3). Have you ever wished you could go back in time and do things differently? The new birth does not give you the ability to do that, but it does give you a new beginning. When you are born again you become a new person in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)
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YOU are given hope. The third reason Peter gives for rejoicing is that you have been given hope. Whereas prior to your new birth you were enslaved to sin (Romans 6:17) and on the road to eternal destruction (Matthew 7:13), afterward you are given a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and are privileged to share in an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade (vv.3-4). What is more, nothing can ever threaten that inheritance because it is kept in heaven for you (v.4). This means that you truly have something to look forward to. As a believer, the best is yet to come.
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YOU are protected. The fourth reason Peter gives for you to rejoice is that you are protected by the power of God. He puts it like this: Through faith you are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time (v.5). The word shielded comes from a Greek word that is in the present tense, meaning the activity is ongoing. The present tense means the action is happening at the present time. Literally God the Father is currently shielding you by his power. He is standing guard over you, protecting you from anything that would keep you from receiving the inheritance that he has promised you.
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These may not be the easiest days you have lived, but as a believer you have so much in which to rejoice. Have you rejoiced today? Take a few minutes right now and rejoice that you are chosen, born again, hopeful, and protected. Use the following verses to assist you.
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| Chosen |
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| Born Again |
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| Hopeful |
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| Protected |
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God bless
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Bro. Craig
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October 21, 2008
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