Today’s Bible Reading
1 Peter 1:1-5
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s [children], strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the [cleansing] work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: grace and peace be yours in abundance. 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
Applying God’s Word in My Life:
1. What did God the Father do to save you? (vv.2-5).
2. Peter singled out two things Jesus did to save you. What are they? (vv.2-3). Why are they important?
3. What is “the [cleansing] work of the Spirit”? (v.2).
Today’s Key Verse:
1 Peter 1:2
[God’s children] have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the [cleansing] work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood.
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The Trinity
Manychurches celebrate what is known as Trinity Sunday. Someone might say, “Who cares? With all the practical, everyday problems we face, why talk about such a complicated thing as the Trinity?” The problem with such thinking is that we cannot clearly grasp the truth of our salvation without having some understanding of God as three persons (the Trinity).
In the opening verses of Peter’s first letter,
he refers to the role of the Father, the Holy Spirit and the Son in saving us (1 Peter 1:2). Our salvation began with the Father’s loving plan, was made possible by Jesus’ death on the cross to provide forgiveness and cleansing, and is carried out by the Holy Spirit’s continuing work in us to make us more like Christ. The more clearly we understand the unique role each Person of the Godhead has in our salvation, the closer our daily walk with Him will be.
We cannot fully comprehend Him— that He is ‘three in one’. He eternally exists in three equal yet distinct Persons as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19). But He expects us to praise Him because of the wonder of love and forgiveness that comes from the Trinity.
That’s why the Trinity is such an important truth. —Herb Vander Lugt
Father, Son and Holy Spirit—
O
Thou blessed Trinity;
One in essence, yet three persons—
Thou art God, we worship Thee. —D. DeHaan
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The Trinity is complex to understand but comforting to know.
Day 9 Knowing God
