Read 1 Peter 1:1-2; 1 Peter 5:12-14.

Introduction⤒🔗

Back in the 14th century, a copy of the Bible cost the equivalent of two thousand dollars in modern currency. The Gutenberg Bible printed in the year 1455 cost five hundred dollars. In the 17th century, a Bible cost one hundred dollars; by 1925 the cost of a Bible was down to three dollars.¹

Does this mean that the Bible has become cheap? God forbid! May it ever continue to be very precious, only now a lot more accessible; consequently, may it be personally cherished by many more people. The Bible has become very inexpensive. But may we never think that it has become cheap. May we receive it and cherish it as a precious letter from God.

Suppose you have been drafted into the armed service. You are sent overseas to a dangerous war zone, half a world away from home; there you receive a letter from your father, expressing his love, giving you valuable counsel, and anticipating your safe return home. You would not throw away such a letter as that; you would keep it, reread it, cherish it. Let us do the same with the Bible. Let us cherish the Bible, because through it the Lord communicates His loving concern for us.

Cherish the Bible, Because It Comes from God←⤒🔗

Peter is the human author of this epistle, but he is writing as “an apostle of Jesus Christ.”

What exactly was an apostle? First, an apostle was personally commissioned by Christ to be His ambassador, His spokesman: one through whom Christ Himself speaks. The Lord Jesus, with reference to His chosen apostles, declares: “I tell you the truth, a servant is not greater than his master; neither is one who is sent [literally, an apostle] greater than the one who sent him... ²⁰I tell you the truth, whoever receives anyone whom I send is receiving me; and whoever receives me is receiving the one who sent me” (Jn. 13:16,20). The Apostle Paul testifies, “In the sight of God we speak by Christ” (2 Cor. 12:19); and again he testifies, “Christ...speaks by me” (2 Cor. 13:3).

Second, the apostles were anointed with the Holy Spirit to communicate the Word of God. Just prior to His arrest and passion, the Lord Jesus made this promise to His disciples, who were called to be His apostles: “the Counselor whom the Father will send in my name, that is, the Holy Spirit, he will teach you all things and remind you of everything that I said to you” (Jn. 14:26). Christ also made this further promise: “when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak of his own accord; on the contrary, he will [only] declare the things he hears, and he will reveal to you the things that are still to come” (Jn. 16:13). Following His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples/apostles and bestowed upon them the Holy Spirit: “Again Jesus said to them, Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, so now I am sending you [i.e. as His apostles]. ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn. 20:21-22).

Third, the apostles were empowered by the Lord to do miraculous works that served as their “apostolic credentials.” The writer of the Book of Hebrews reminds his readers of this apostolic empowerment: “This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. ⁴God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will” (Heb. 2:3b-4).

Fourth, the New Testament apostles are identified with the Old Testament prophets as being God’s spokesmen through whom He communicates His Word. Peter informs us that the Spirit of Christ, [i.e. the Holy Spirit] was in the Old Testament prophets:

¹⁰With regard to this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that has come to you, searched diligently and with the greatest care. ¹¹They were trying to find out the time and circumstances the Spirit of Christ, who was in them, was indicating when he foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 1 Pet. 1:10-11

Revelation 10 informs us that the Lord declared the gospel by His servants the prophets, and the prophets in turn exhort John (as an apostle) that he must “prophesy again;” i.e. he, as a New Testament apostle, must continue the God-given ministry initially entrusted to the Old Testament prophets:

⁷But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets...¹¹Then they [the Old Testament prophets] said to me, You must prophesy again over many peoples and nations and languages and kings. Rev. 10:7,11

The writings of the New Testament apostles are placed alongside those of the Old Testament prophets, together forming sacred Scripture, as is seen by Peter’s testimony concerning the writings of his fellow apostle, Paul:

¹⁵Recognize that the great patience of our Lord is [intended for] salvation, just as our beloved brother, Paul, also wrote to you, in accordance with the wisdom given to him. ¹⁶Just as in all his letters he speaks about these things. In [his letters] there are things that are difficult to understand, which those who are ignorant and unstable distort, just as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 2 Pet. 3:15-16

In summary, consider the testimony of the Apostle Paul:

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.1 Thess. 2:13

Let us cherish the Bible, because it comes from God:

¹⁶All Scripture is God-breathed [or, breathed out by God] and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3:16-17

Cherish the Bible, Because It is Especially Addressed to You as a Christian←⤒🔗

As a Christian, as one who has received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are numbered among those “who have been chosen [by God]” (vs. 1). By way of illustration: When a nation has an election, they choose a man to serve in public office; that man does not merely claim the office on his own initiative, he is given that position by those who have elected him. Likewise, the Scriptures teach that God redeems those whom He has sovereignly chosen to save out of the fallen race of humanity, and those whom He has elected He brings to Christ. The Apostle Paul presents this truth to the Thessalonian Christians:

¹³But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. ¹⁴He called you to this through our gospel, so that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 2:13-14

As a Christian, you have been chosen “in accordance with the foreknowledge of God the Father” (vs. 2). Again, by way of illustration: When a candidate runs for public office, he puts his name up for election; he tells the voters of his qualifications, he spends much money, time, and effort in campaigning, seeking to convince the public to vote for him. But in striking contrast to a political election, your spiritual election as a Christian is not because of any personal qualifications, but solely because of the grace of God.

You were not chosen because you were good: “as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one... ²³for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:10,23). You were not chosen because you had potential; by nature, we were spiritually dead: “[he raised] you also, when you were dead in your transgressions and sins” (Eph. 2:1). You were not chosen because you would exercise faith; saving faith itself is a gift of God: “And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48). The text does not say, “as many as believed were ordained to eternal life.” Faith itself is the gift of God: “It is by grace that you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, ⁹it is not of works, therefore, no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).

Again, you were chosen “in accordance with the foreknowledge of God the Father.” “Foreknowledge” is not only referring to God’s intellectual knowledge as to whom He intended to redeem, it is also referring to the fatherly love that moved Him to redeem us: “In love, ⁵he predestined us to be his adopted sons through Jesus Christ, by his own will and desire” (Eph. 1:4b-5). God the Father loved us long before there was anything lovable about us, note the testimony of Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” In one sense, God, as a good God and loving Creator, looks down upon His entire creation with an attitude of love, compassion, and pity; but Scripture also teaches that God has singled out those whom He has sovereignly chosen to redeem, because they are the objects of His fatherly love. By way of illustration: The love you have for a friend or a neighbor is genuine, but the love you have for the children you have fathered or adopted is in a class by itself.

As Christians, we have been chosen “for obedience” (vs. 2). One of the ultimate purposes of our redemption is obedience. The Apostle Paul informs the Ephesian Christians: “We are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance in order for us to walk in them.” (Eph. 2:8-10). Later in this epistle, Peter will express this great truth in these terms: “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people appointed to be [God’s] own possession, so that you might display the virtues of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

This great purpose of redemption, this great calling to be conformed to the holy will and character of God, is carried out by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit: He sovereignly and graciously compels us to believe in Christ Jesus, and thereby enter into a personal relationship with the Holy Son of God; and He persistently brings us into conformity with the holy life of Christ our Savior and God our Father. As Christians, we must surrender our will to the Holy Spirit and rely upon His grace, as He carries out this work of sanctification in our lives—this work of setting us apart for God and for obedience to God.

Whereas obedience, (conformity to the holy will and character of God), is the ultimate purpose of salvation, (realized and accomplished by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit), the means of our salvation is the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is by faith in His atoning sacrifice offered unto God the Father upon the cross of Calvary, that we receive the forgiveness of our sins. It is by means of His shed blood that we are justified: our debt has been paid and we are now accepted into the presence of our holy God. Furthermore, it is by our spiritual relationship with Christ Jesus in His death, that our old sinful nature has been put to death, and being now spiritually joined with Him in His resurrection life, the Holy Spirit develops that new life in us. The process of His doing so is what the Bible calls the process of sanctification.

The Apostle Peter literally speaks of “[the] sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” As the N.T. commentator, Andrew McNab, points out, Peter is alluding to the covenant the LORD made with His Israel at the foot of Mt. Sinai, where the sacrificial blood was sprinkled upon the altar and upon the people (Ex. 24:1-11).² By means of his allusion to that Old Testament covenant, Peter is informing us of two things: 1) the Mosaic Covenant, as it is called, was provisional, it finds its ultimate fulfillment in the new covenant (promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and fulfilled by the atoning death of our Lord Jesus Christ [cf. Lk. 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25]; and, 2) all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, (Peter is writing to predominantly Gentile congregations), have a share in the new covenant: its awesome privileges, obligations, and blessings.

Writing to these Christians living in Asai Minor, Peter identifies them as spiritual “refugees” in this present world. The Greek word translated “refugees” (1Tαρε1TιδTIμοs) has the meaning, “temporary resident;” literally, it means, “someone beside the public assembly,” as opposed to one who is a citizen and member of the assembly. Peter is writing to Jewish and Gentile Christians who were residents of what is present day Turkey, many of whom were no doubt born there; yet he identifies them as “refugees,” spiritual sojourners, temporary residents.

In what sense are you as a Christian, a “spiritual refugee” in this present world? We understand Peter’s meaning when we contrast such a passage as Revelation 3:10 with Philippians 3:20. In Revelation 3:10 the people of this world, those who are estranged from God and without faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, are identified as those “who dwell upon the earth;” those for whom this present world and this present life is their “home,” the place to which they belong, as opposed to having a home in the kingdom of God. The Greek word translated “dwell,” means “to inhabit, to settle, to make a home.” In Philippians 3:20, the Apostle Paul identifies the Christian in these terms: “our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

We tend to develop deep ties to this present world, especially to the place of our birth or longtime residence. But Peter is reminding us that as Christians we need to develop a different perspective: we must view ourselves as sojourners and even as “spiritual refugees” in this present world, note Colossians 3:1-4,

¹Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things; ³for you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Even if you were born and raised in the community where you presently reside, view yourself as a sojourner, one whose primary citizenship is in heaven, one who is only temporarily residing in this earthly community. What kind of impact will this new and corrected perspective have on your daily life and decisions?

Let us cherish the Bible, because it is especially addressed to us as Christians. It informs us and reminds us of our identity: the people of God who presently find ourselves living as “spiritual refugees” in this present world. It confronts us with our divine calling, the ultimate purpose of our salvation, conformity to the holy will and character of our God and Father. It assures us of our status as those who partake of the new covenant, with all its privileges, obligations, and blessings.

The Lord desires the gospel to be preached to all men so that they may hear of the way of salvation and receive the Savior. But in a special way, the Bible is addressed to the community of believers and is for our benefit: it is the word of the heavenly Father addressed to His beloved children in Christ Jesus whom He has redeemed for holy fellowship with Himself.

Cherish the Bible, Because of What Only It Can Offer You←⤒🔗

Writing as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, Peter desires to communicate the grace and peace of God to these Christian people: “May grace and peace be multiplied to you” (vs. 2). The Holy Spirit desires to communicate these very same spiritual blessings to all who read and receive the Word of God. “Grace,” as used here by the Apostle Peter, includes all those godly resources of spiritual strength, guidance, and blessing. “Peace” refers to the assurance of our acceptance with God the Father by virtue of the atoning work of Christ our Savior and His perfect righteousness bestowed upon us.

In the closing verses of this epistle, Peter speaks in more specific terms as to why he has written to these Christians: “I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it” (1 Pet. 5:12). Peter’s intention is to give these Christians further assurance and confirmation that what the apostles have communicated to the churches is “the true grace of God.” Here is true spiritual life and blessing, which cannot be found any place else. Note John 6:67-69, where Peter, addressing the Lord Jesus, testifies, “Lord, to whom [else] shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹We have believed and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Peter’s further purpose is to exhort these Christian people to “stand firm” in the Lord Jesus and in grace (i.e. the spiritual life) that is found in Him alone. The Apostle Paul gives similar exhortations to the churches to whom he writes:

¹...brothers, I remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you also received, in which also you stand, ²and by which you are saved, if you hold firm to the word that we preached to you, otherwise you have believed in vain. ³I delivered to you as of first importance that which I also received, [namely], that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; ⁴and that he was buried; and that he has been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15:1-4

⁶As you have...received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Col. 2:6-7

Let us cherish the Bible, because of what only it can offer to us: the true grace of God; the true spiritual life and blessing that can be found nowhere else.

Conclusion←⤒🔗

Over the course of the centuries, the Bible has become far less expensive, far more affordable. But may the Bible never become cheap; may it never be viewed as something that is insignificant and of little value to us! May we increasingly cherish the Bible for what it is: the very Word of God being communicated to us, His children in Christ, for our assurance and exhortation.

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. How does the Apostle Peter describe the Christians to whom he is writing? See 1 Pet. 1:1c Were these Christian people refugees from their homeland, or are they spiritual refugees in the world? Note Phil. 3:20-21 As a Christian, do you recognize yourself to be a spiritual refugee in this present world; is your lifestyle and outlook strange and “foreign” in the midst of this secular, hedonistic society? If not, why not?

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have been chosen [by God] and who are refugees of the Dispersion, [residing] in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia... 1 Pet. 1:1

²⁰[But] our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹By the power that enables him to bring everything into submission to himself, he will transform the body belonging to the present state of our humiliation, so that it may be conformed to his glorified body. Phil. 3:20-21

2. Why is it that these people have become spiritual refugees; what has happened to them? See 1 Pet. 1:1-2a Christian, do you appreciate the fact that what makes you different from the world, (a spiritual refugee in the world), is that God, by His sovereign grace and by His Holy Spirit, has made you His own devoted child, having washed away your sins by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ? Note Tit. 3:5-6,

¹Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have been chosen [by God]... ²[chosen] in accordance with the foreknowledge of God the Father for obedience, by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and [by] the sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ. 1 Pet. 1:1-2a

⁵...according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he abundantly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Tit. 3:5­-6
When a man takes a shower, he emerges clean; but when the Holy Spirit plunges us under the “shower” of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, we not only have our sins washed away, we emerge from this “shower” as a new creation, united to Christ Jesus in His resurrection life. This is “the baptism of the Holy Spirit,” which every person who comes to Christ experiences, it is nothing other than conversion, sovereignly produced by the Holy Spirit.

3. For what purpose has God chosen those first-century Christians, and us twenty-first-century Christians? See 1 Pet. 1:2a; see, also, 1 Pet. 2:9 As a Christian, do you appreciate the fact that the purpose of our salvation is “to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever”? Do you appreciate the God-centered character of our salvation: just as it is derived from God (“chosen [by God]”), so, too, is it ultimately for God (cf. 1 Pet. 2:9)?

¹Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have been chosen [by God]... ²[chosen] in accordance with the foreknowledge of God the Father for obedience... 1 Pet. 1:1-2

⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people appointed to be [God’s] own possession, so that you might display the virtues of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.1 Pet. 2:9

4. How is the goal of obedience achieved in the Christian’s life? See 1 Pet. 1:2b What is “the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit”? See 1 Cor. 3:18 What role do you as a Christian have in the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work? See Gal. 5:25 Are you willingly yielding yourself to the Holy Spirit, or resisting Him?

...we all...beholding...the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory...by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3:18

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in line with the Spirit. Gal. 5:25

5. As spiritual refugees, what should now be our relationship to the world and its secular, God-defying culture? See 1 Pet. 2:11 As Christians, how are we to conduct ourselves while living in this present world? See Phil. 2:15-16a In reliance on the Holy Spirit, are you living in accordance with your Christian calling?

Beloved, I exhort you as aliens and refugees, to abstain from the fleshly lusts that wage war against the soul. 1 Pet. 2:11

¹⁵...become blameless and pure, children of God without blemish, in the midst of a perverse and crooked generation, among whom you shine like stars in the universe, ^16aholding forth the word of life... Phil. 2:15-16a