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Remember Who You Are - 1 Peter 1
Remember Who You Are - 1 Peter 1
Peter writes to encourage the Christians who live in the area we now know as Turkey. They were undergoing some sort of fiery trial that was testing their faith. In this first chapter he mentions many different things that they need to remember about themselves when facing such trials. Such trials do test our faith but they are not the measure of who we are at the time of such test. We may fail the test, lose our faith, and thus our relationship may change; but at the time of the trial they needed to remember who they were in relationship with God.
They were God’s chosen people who had been sanctified by the Spirit, had been obedient unto Jesus, and had been sprinkled with the blood of Christ (1-2). God had caused them to be born again (we will see this repeated in verses 1:23 and 2:1); hence they are God’s children (vs. 3). As God’s children they have an inheritance that is being kept for them. They were people ‘of faith’ and what is being tested is that very faith to see if it is genuine or not. They had been converted after the ascension of Jesus so they have never seen him YET they love Him and trust (believe) Him (vs. 8). They are children of God but are exhorted to make sure they are OBEDIENT children, children that are holy (vs. 14-15). They are people that have learned to fear God who judges without partiality (vs. 17). They had been ransomed with the blood of Christ (18). They are not only believers in Jesus but are believers in God and thus have their faith and hope planted in God (21). They had purified their souls in obeying the truth (22). Hence Peter repeats that they have been born again (vs. 23) and thus are ‘newborn infants’ who would desire the pure milk of the word in order that they could grow in their faith and knowledge.
Yes, even these kind of spiritual people are tested severely. Such testing did not indicate they were NOT children of God, but rather was testing them AS children of God. They needed to remember that kit was their BEING this kind of people that would bring such severe testing! Peter’s approach to encouraging them reminds me of the song we sing: “Christian, Remember Who You Are”. Perhaps we need to sing this more often?
Hugh DeLong
