1 Peter - One of My Favorite Books of the New Testament One of my favorite books of the Bible is 1 Peter.

On days when I want to read a passage of Scripture that encourages me and gives me hope for the future, 1 Peter is one of the first books that come to mind. This book was written by the apostle Peter approximately 30 years after Jesus returned to heaven. There are many great memory verses we can take from this book, but I want to highlight a few passages from this epistle that really strike a chord with me. In verse 13 of chapter 1 of 1 Peter, it says Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be selfcontrolled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. Peter goes on to say in the following verses that we need to be holy. He states we need to be holy in every single action of our lives. This can be tough to do, and it is nearly impossible to do it all the time. Many Christians go to church on Sunday morning, but how do they react on Wednesday afternoon at work when they have a conflict with their supervisor? Our actions during the rest of the week help symbolize where our heart is. In verse 22, the Lord speaks through Peter and tells Christians to love one another deeply, from the heart. This is all part of learning to be holy. In Chapter 2 of 1 Peter, Peter discusses how we are chosen by God. We are like living stones because we are part of the spiritual house being built. Peter is not trying to say that we should believe in the theory of predestination, but he is saying that we are set apart to live for the Lord. He wants us to abstain from sin and live for him only. In the second half of the second chapter, Peter tells the people to submit to the rulers and masters of the day. The people are not supposed to rebel against authority as long as it does not conflict with the Word of God. The third chapter of 1 Peter talks about wives submitting to their husbands, and husbands treating their wives with respect. Beginning with verse 8, Peter discusses how Christians will suffer for doing good when they live for the Lord. Peter specifically points out it is better to suffer for Christ for doing the right thing than it is to do evil. In the fourth chapter, Peter goes into more details about living for God and suffering for living a Christian life. Persecution against Christians was rampant 2000 years ago, and it is only growing in todays culture. In the final chapter of 1 Peter, the author gives a message to the elders and young men of the church. He commands them to become shepherds of Gods flock. He commands the young people to be submissive to the older wiser people in the congregation. He encourages everyone to cast their worries about God so that they may be lifted up.